Fleshling
by iratepirate and Taipan Kiryu
Summary: G1. An accident with the Well of Transformation turns Starscream into a human. Will he be able to be the ultimate Decepticon weapon against the Autobots before losing himself to humanity?
1. Chapter 1

**Fleshling**

**By iratepirate and Taipan Kiryu**

_Author's notes: This is a hybrid; born on one of those weekends on which we find each other online and have our brainstorming chats. _

_Honestly, we wouldn't know how to classify this story. It will have humour, romance, drama, adventure, action, eroticism… It's going to get smutty in some parts, but they will be carefully written as something enjoyable and believable. Still, if you feel offended by erotic content and a sexy Seeker making his way through the human's world, perhaps this story is not for you. The first chapters of this story will be rated T but eventually it can change into M. It is not our intention to offend anyone, or to make anyone feel unduly uncomfortable. Please use your discretion. On the other hand, if you are amongst those who believe that Starscream is a gift from Primus to all femmes, we are sure you will find this highly entertaining, not to mention other adjectives ;o) _

_This is our second collaboration together, we hope you will enjoy it as much as we are enjoying writing it… once again, it is a pleasure to share with you all._

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**Prologue**

He was dead.

He had to be dead.

He had felt it in every circuit, in every sensor, in every part of his metallic armor.

Never in his life had he felt a pain so intense. But he recognized it instinctively… the agonic moment prior to termination.

Would he be one with the Matrix now? Or perhaps those superstitious blessings were only reserved for Autobots?

Maybe only nothingness was awaiting. Maybe that was the reason why he had felt the metal layers of his body torn away one by one. Maybe that was the reason why his vocalizer had refused to obey him in letting out his last howl of fear.

Maybe that was the reason why everything was suddenly so cold… so humid.

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Astrotrain hated tranquility.

And he certainly hated it as he waited transformed into his space shuttle mode in a lonely clearing on the planet of the Tlakakans.

He was an elite warrior, stronger than most of the Decepticons. Why, then, was he forced to function as a transport vehicle, carrying his hateful comrades in arms from one point of the galaxy to another?

Stealth was not his forte… he had heard it before.

And the current mission required stealth, another reason why he had been left behind. But it was his patience that was being really challenged, because his uncomfortable passengers were Starscream and his two wingmates, the most loudmouthed and vain trine of the entire Decepticon Empire. The long breems that the trip to the Tlakakan planet had lasted were a torture for Astrotrain; he had been forced to constantly listen to Starscream's egomaniacal rants, Skywarp's stupid remarks and Thundercracker's thick sobriety. Too much for a single Triplechanger.

Why wasn't he allowed to abandon his companions if he considered it proper? Why did he have to tolerate the insanities of those self-centered and obviously inferior Seekers?

He wished he could transform into his bipedal mode; at least that would have given him the opportunity to kick a tree or step on a few organic creatures to pass the time, even if it meant getting their repulsive bodily fluids all over the soles of his feet. Anything would have been more entertaining than just sitting and waiting. He let a sigh escape his vocaliser.

If at least Blitzwing had been assigned to the trip… But no. Astrotrain was on his own and with the worst company. Someday he would have an army of trains under his control, some day…

A distant explosion took the Triplechanger out of his melancholic thoughts. Maybe he would see more action than the leaves of the trees moving after all.

Another explosion followed, this time spiced with the unmistakable sound of laser fire.

Astrotrain was about to transform into his robotic mode when two winged figures broke through the former peaceful foliage, stepping on trees and bushes with no discretion whatsoever.

"Open your hatch, Astrotrain, and turn on your engines! We are leaving immediately!" Thundercracker yelled. He had his hands on his chest, probably covering a wound.

"What happened?" the Triplechanger asked, not willing to obey the Seeker.

"Autobots, you dolt, that's what happened! Didn't you hear TC? Let us in and get the slag out of here!" Skywarp demanded. His smoking shoulder showed the signs of the mild impact of enemy fire.

"You were discovered then, you idiots? Better! Time to add some Autodorks to the scrapheap!"

"They clearly outnumber us! Open your fragging hatch!" Skywarp continued as he punched one of the sides of the space shuttle.

"Keep your filthy hands away, Skywarp!" Astrotrain shouted, opening his hatch. "We will leave, but _you_ will explain this failure to Megatron!"

It wasn't until both Seekers were inside him that Astrotrain noticed a certain absence.

"Where is Starscream?" he asked.

Skywarp stared at Thundercracker with uncertainty. The blue Seeker advanced toward the shuttle's big cargo unit, keeping his hands over his chest.

"It doesn't matter. Just take off," he somberly said.

A deep metallic cackle reverberated. "So Starscream fell in battle!! My most sincere condolences, guys!" Astrotrain mocked. He had never liked the fragger, and if it meant he had to carry one less idiot in his cargo bay, the outcome was even better.

"He wasn't destroyed; don't be an idiot. Blast off and stop talking nonsense! The Autobots will be all over us at any moment," Thundercracker growled.

"Then what the frag happened to him?"

"Slag it, choo choo brain!! Just take off!!" Skywarp cried, giving a hard kick to a bulkhead beside him.

Astrotrain was about to reply when from somewhere outside a laser beam impacted him.

"Yeeargh!!! I was hit!!"

"I told you, you imbecile!! Take off!"

This time, Astrotrain didn't argue with Skywarp and hurried to get away within a storm of enemy fire.

Fortunately for the Decepticons, the Autobots had no means to follow them and soon Astrotrain trespassed the atmosphere of the Tlakakan's planet. As the tranquility and darkness of outer space enveloped him, the Triplechanger adopted a much more benign flight pattern.

"That was close," Skywarp sighed, letting himself fall into a chair.

"Very," Thundercracker seconded.

"And no thanks to you, I might add," Skywarp said with a cold tone, directing his glance at Astrotrain's main console. "You had one job on this mission, and when someone tells you to do it, you do it. Next time you don't take off when we're under enemy fire, it won't be some Autogeek I empty my weapons on, you got that Astrotrain?"

"Yeah, keep talking out your afterburners, Skywarp… Now are you two dumb afts going to tell me what the slag happened back there? Where is Starscream?"

Skywarp glanced at Thundercracker again, confusion reflected in his optics. Thundercracker said nothing but walked forward and carefully placed the thing he had been carrying on the floor.

A young, naked, human male slid from the blue Seeker's hands. His motionless body remained still once he was deposited on the cold metal beneath him.

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF PRIMUS IS THAT??!!" Astrotrain cried as he saw the flesh creature.

"Haven't you been assigned to Earth long enough to recognize a human when you see it, Astrotrain?" Thundercracker replied.

"How dare you introduce that thing to my cargo unit?! It's going to fill me with germs!"

"Aaaah… Stop being so fussy, would you?"

"It's easy for you say it, Skywarp! It's not you who is being directly contaminated by that protoplasmic pulp! The slagging thing is so soft and humid… I'm about to purge my energon tanks… I've never felt so disgusted in my life! Take it to the back. I will expel it outside."

"You won't do such a thing," Thundercracker said severely.

"Oh, really? And who says so?"

"I do."

"I'll tell you something, Thundercracker. You and your idiotic friend have two options: you get that meat pile out of me, or you will join it floating in space. You choose."

"What if we add a third choice, like my incendiary gun missiles blowing your main console to pieces? What about that?" Skywarp asked as he aimed toward his objective.

"You wouldn't dare!" the threatening voice of Astrotrain resounded.

"Wanna bet, choo choo brain?"

"Stop calling me that, Skywarp!"

"Stop being such a grease-sucking gaskertroid, then!"

"All this fighting for a simple hostage!" continued Astrotrain. "The Autobots can't reach us now. There is no need to keep it."

"This is not a simple hostage…" Thundercracker said.

"So what is it? The missing link?"

Skywarp couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah… you could call him that."

"Will you two stop digressing and tell me what in the Pit is going on here?!" the Triplechanger yelled, reaching his limit of patience.

"This human is Starscream," Thundercracker quickly said, as if in doing it that way he could eradicate the astonishment that was still invading him.

The green light on the console, that blinked every time Astrotrain spoke, turned off. It remained that way for several astro seconds.

"I see…" he finally spoke again. "I always thought Skywarp was the one that liked to play the idiot. I must say that your so-called sense of humor is pathetic, Thundercracker."

"TC is not joking, you fool!" retorted Skywarp. "This slim-squirt is indeed our glorious Air Commander."

"But how…?"

"We had an incident with the Well of Transformation," Thundercracker explained, interrupting the Triplechanger. "Starscream fell in and I took him out converted into… _this_."

A slight tremor inside Astrotrain's huge cargo unit anticipated the immense guffaw that hurt both Seeker's audio sensors.

"SO STARSCREAM MADE A FOOL OUT OF HIMSELF AGAIN!! CLASSIC!!"

"Would you stop laughing, Astrotrain? It's not funny!" Thundercracker complained.

"Are you kidding? This is the most amusing thing I've seen in fifteen thousand vorns!! Oh slag, I have to record him and send the footage to the guys on Cybertron! Octane will crack up!"

"Great idea! I can provide you with the audio recording of his scream…!" Skywarp said, giving up to the contagious laugh of the Triplechanger.

"Thank you very much for the support, Warp," Thundercracker grumbled.

"You are welcome! Although I'm curious about something… if you touched the water from the well why didn't you transform into some squishy thing too?" Skywarp asked.

"Simple, I just concentrated not to. Transform into one, that is… ya know. I don't know… I guess…" Thundercracker's face seemed to glaze over as he lost himself to thought, a slight frown darkening his features.

"You are my hero."

"…huh…what…?"

"Ahhh, I have a question…" Astrotrain said, taking the lead of his companions, "…why in the frag was he thinking about humans anyway?"

"What do you mean, aft head?"

"Well, TC said he concentrated on _not_ transforming, and he didn't. Which means you have to be thinking about something if you are to transform. And if you transform into what your thinking about… then…?

Skywarp stood in silence for a few astro seconds, scratching his head. "Ah. I see your point..."

"So I ask it again... why in the Pit was Starscream thinking about _humans_, of all the disgusting creatures?"

"Ummm... maybe he saw one of the humans the Autoscums keep just before he fell in to the well. Maybe he was going to go and kill it, but then got hit and fell in." Thundercracker suggested, his optics not leaving the tiny figure sprawled at his feet.

"Yeah, maybe... or maybe he secretly likes humans and when he saw that he was going to fall in, he focussed all his thoughts on being human?" Astrotrain's cargo bay shook with deafeneing laughter again. "Please Primus, I want to be a human. Turn me into a human, Primus, please turn me into a human!"

"Shut up Astrotrain."

"At least if you know you're about to be transformed you could focus on something better than that... I think I'd tansform into a sexy femme, then I could get some girl action and wouldn't have to part with my hard-earned energon credits..."

"Astrotrain, you really are a slag-sucking, aft-headed spazmatron."

"What, you're telling me that you wouldn't want that, Skywarp?"

"I don't need to pay for my girl action... they line up to experience the pleasures of Skywarp."

"In your fragging dreams, aft head! That squishy excuse for an Air Commander would attract more femmes than you would!"

"Guys... _please_!" Thundercracker interrupted, irritation clear in his voice. "Do you think we could focus on solving this potentially life-threatening problem? I always thought I'd die by Megatron's hand, but I'm not quite ready for that to happen just yet!"

Skywarp elbowed his wingmate jovially, "Sorry TC, you know I can't concentrate on things like that for too long. Right... what are we gonna do?"

Astrotrain managed to suffocate his guffaws and spoke again. "What's the big deal anyway? All you have to do is submerge Starscream in the well again and problem solved. As all Seekers, you love drama. And he'd only have to wait a few breems before the Autobots leave, it's not like it's a problem getting back there or anything. I'm sure he can last that long."

"It would be too easy, indeed," Thundercracker snarled, "if the Well of Transformation still existed."

"What do you mean?"

Skywarp bowed his head and started to play nervously with his weapons. "Erm… it was an accident… totally… I had a miscalculation while teleporting and well… a missile came out and destroyed the well… you know how these things happen…"

A new session of laughter shook Astrotrain. "So you blew up the fragging well?! Oh, for the holy Pit, this is priceless!! Wait till Blitzwing hears this!"

Skywarp frowned and unleashed a furious punch on the bulkhead beside him. "Who cares about Blitzwing? It's Megatron I'm worried about!"

"True, you idiot," Astrotrain said. "He won't be pleased about sending a Seeker and receiving a nude flesh bag in return. I would say you are pretty slagged, Skywarp."

"Damn…"

The Triplechanger shuttle focused his optic sensors on the figure lying face down on the floor. At first sight, he seemed like an ordinary human being, his age similar to the ones the Autobots had as their pets.

"So…" Astrotrain continued. "Is he alive?"

"Yes, I think so… He is unconscious, however," Thundercracker said.

"Well, wake him up."

"What?"

"Wake him up! I want to see his face when he realizes what he's gotten himself into."

Thundercracker frowned. "How many times do I have to tell you this is not supposed to be funny?"

"But it is!"

"Astrotrain may be right, TC. I don't know if it's good for Starscream to remain unconscious. We don't even know if he's functioning anymore."

Thundercracker sighed and approached the being that was supposed to be his trine leader. He looked down at the tiny creature lying before him, a mixture of fear, confusion and absolute revoltion coursing through his systems. Starscream's newly formed skin was still damp, still slick with energon spilt during the battle; his body seemed to shimmer slightly in the dimming light. He wondered how much of that spilt fluid had been the Air Commander's own. The Seeker kneeled and raised a hesitating hand, but he retracted it when he was some inches away from the young male's back.

"I can't… He is so small… and fragile," Thundercracker muttered.

"Oh, come on TC, it's not like you are going to break him or something," Skywarp said.

"How can you be so sure?"

"We have fought these meat creatures before. Starscream can't be that different from them."

"Yes, but those humans were inside machines… This is different. What if I crush him?"

"But it was you who carried him here in the first place."

"That was an instinctive impulse. If I had seen him clearly perhaps I wouldn't have been able to touch him… Primus, he looks so weak."

"On the up side, if you do kill him we can just throw his fleshy carcass out into space and Megatron would never be the wiser…" Astrotrain said, struggling to maintain his sobriety.

"Oh Primus… I…I can't…"

Skywarp approached and pushed his friend aside. "Let me, I'll do it."

The black and purple Seeker put one knee on the floor and hesitated.

"So, Warp?" Thundercracker said. "Are you going to be the hero now or not?"

"Ahem… I don't know… I mean, I have touched humans before. Juggling with them and using them to play fetch with Ravage is kind of common, but… slag, this is Starscream we are talking about!"

"You are so brilliant, brother."

"Hey!"

"For all the slagging pit holes in the Universe, you two are annoying!!" Astrotrain shouted. "Just grab that damn thing and shake it!"

"May I remind you, Astrotrain, that this _thing_ is our beloved superior officer…?" Skywarp ironically said.

"Whatever! Just check he's not dead or I'll throw him into space."

Skywarp rubbed his chin for many astro seconds before finally deciding to push Starscream's body with one of his fingers.

"Easy, Warp, don't forget he is all flesh now," Thundercracker said.

"Hey, Screamer, wake up, come on… You already slept too much, princess," Skywarp said as he continued poking the human until he turned him on his back, but the organic eyes remained closed, one of them partially covered by a lock of brown hair.

"Nope… I would say he is practically in stasis lock. Why don't you release a low magnitude sonic boom, TC? Perhaps low frequencies can wake him up," Skywarp suggested as he got up.

"Perhaps…" Thundercracker muttered.

Skywarp prodded him again, the limp body rocked violently with his touch, causing his head to loll to the side. Starscream's hair fell messily over his forehead.

"Slaggit, wake up Starscream!" Thundercracker spat in frustration. "We don't even know if there's any internal damage, Primus knows what we'll do if he really does need medical treatment. And you can't tell me that that purple mark growing on his shoulder is a healthy thing..."

The three Decepticons remained in silence for several astro seconds, bewilderment growing think in the air. All optics were focussed on the fleshling, a level of scrutiny that would have sent Starscream into a paranoid frenzy had he been conscious.

"Disgusting! What is that thing between his legs?" Astrotrain spat, no longer able to contain his revulsion.

"I think it's some sort of spark chamber or something…" Skywarp responded.

"Do humans have their sparks in the crotch, and exposed?? What kind of madness is that?"

"As a matter of fact, I think the equivalent of their sparks would be their hearts… who cares?" Thundercracker said.

"Then what is that piece of hanging flesh…?"

Suddenly, Starscream began to move, making the Triplechanger shut up.

Skywarp and Thundercracker backed off, mouths open, and Astrotrain focused his optics on the figure that was suddenly alive. If the three Decepticons were able to breath, they would have stopped doing it that same moment.

But breathing was something that the Air Commander definitely could do in his new form. After struggling in blindness for some seconds, organic green eyes opened and stared for the first time.

"T-thundercracker…?" the human spoke. His voice conserved the juvenile tone of Starscream, but it had lost its usual screech. One thing was for sure: that was not the voice of any Cybertronian.

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No damage report came when he activated his optics, no energy restoration…

Everything that Starscream felt was coldness, and a very hard surface beneath his body. He saw Thundercracker's blurry figure before him and muttered his name by instinct. His wingmate looked bigger for some reason… huge, actually. But Starscream's numbed cerebral circuits couldn't process anything on the matter in that moment. He had to be badly injured, because he could feel everything, absolutely _everything_… the floor, the air, his own body that suddenly felt so light… Primus, had he been mutilated?

His primary fear was his wings, and that was the destination of his frenetic glance.

It wasn't the absence of his biggest asset and pride that replaced confusion with the most absolute terror. It was to find an organic shoulder so close to his face.

He screamed. Losing his characteristic vocal tone didn't keep him from expressing his anguish with a frightening cry; the best way to use for the first time his impossible lungs.

_To be continued._

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_The Well of Transformation appeared in the G1 episode "Sea change". _

_We hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Please let us know. Thanks for reading :o)_


	2. It’s alive!

_Many many thank you guys for the amazing response we received for the prologue of this story. Here you have the continuation. We hope you will enjoy it as much as we did ;o)_

_Good reading people!_

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**Chapter 1**

**It's alive!**

Listening to humans screaming was no novelty.

The filthy meat bags did it all the time. Running and yelling was their specialty by far.

But, for some reason, Starscream's cry was horrifying, unique… It echoed through the space shuttle and irritated the sensitive audio sensors of the three Cybertronians who heard it.

"Frag, Screamer… keep it low, would you?" Skywarp said, covering both sides of his head with his hands.

Starscream didn't listen to his wingmate. He didn't even realize how different his voice sounded, how it reverberated inside his head… His glance was fixated on his hands.

_Organic hands… tendons, blood and bones… hidden behind that skin that was his own… nails and veins added brutal realism to his already unbearable nightmare._

_It wasn't real, it wasn't real… it couldn't be happening._

_He didn't know if he was still screaming, it didn't matter._

_Was he dead? Was he in stasis lock?_

_It wasn't real…_

_He wasn't himself._

"Starscream?"

Thundercracker tried to soften his potent voice as much as he could. He felt Skywarp poking his shoulder.

"Do you think he recognizes us, TC?"

Thundercracker kneeled, trying to level with the terrified human that continued staring at his body as if he were watching the end of the Universe itself.

"Starscream, please try to calm down…"

_Beyond his fingers, the disgusting flesh continued. There was not a single part of his body that wasn't made of skin, soft and perishable, thin and revolting…_

_It wasn't possible. That wasn't him._

_That THING couldn't be him._

"Slag it!! Would you quit playing the victim, Starscream?" Astrotrain yelled. "I've had enough of your screams. Would you proceed to the next phase and tell us what it feels like to be a miserable fleshling?"

"Tact, Astrotrain, tact… I bet it has always been your biggest trait."

"How did you guess, Thundercracker?"

From his spot on the floor, Starscream's organic green eyes seemed to lighten up. After the initial shock, his fury began to look for culprits.

"YOU!!" he screamed as hard as he could, still unable to recognize that voice as his.

Skywarp noticed that the furious yell had been directed to him and pointed his finger toward himself.

"Me?" he asked, confused.

"You did this to me!" Starscream cried. "I don't know how… but remove it!"

"Remove what?"

"The hologram! Remove it now, frag it!"

"Eh… Being a flesh creature has certainly affected your cerebro circuits, hasn't it Screamer? You should know I'm a teleporter, not a hologram creator."

"Whatever! Just remove the slagging thing or I swear I will destroy you! This is the last prank you will ever pull on me, do you understand? THE LAST ONE!" the young human continued as he awkwardly got up.

But he had barely sustained himself on his two feet when he returned to the floor again, unable to control the impulse of what he had intended to be his first step. His knees painfully hit metal; the steel beneath his body felt too hard, and so cold…

"Hey, relax Screamer. Don't try to walk now. You are still too weakened," Skywarp said.

Thundercracker slowly shook his head. "No, that's not it. It's the absence of his wings… Without them, he has no balance."

There was no sadder view for a Seeker than one of their own without wings. For a moment, that thought made Thundercracker feel more pity for Starscream, even more than the fact that he was a human.

On his knees, Starscream turned his head upwards to look at his shoulder again, to the place where his wings had been only a few breems ago. He felt the odd sensation of a shiver run along his spine and had the need to scream again, but the thought of hearing that horrendous, impossible sound was unbearable. His wings…

_His greatest asset, his greatest pride…_

_And they were gone, completely and utterly._

_Fragile flesh in the place where they should have been…_

_It was humiliating…_

"The hologram… please remove it…" Starscream begged, his eyes closed in defeat and trying to get up again.

Skywarp felt a chill through his spark. Never in his life had he heard the arrogant Starscream say the forbidden word _please… _Maybe the situation was worse than he had thought at the beginning.

A dry sound could be heard when the Air Commander's human fist hit the floor. The pain was worse than the one in his knees, but he didn't care. It had to go… The sensation of weakness and inferiority had to go…

"This far surpasses any stupid prank you have pulled on me so far!" he found strength to scream again. "Remove the slagging…!"

"Don't you understand that it's not a hologram?! You are a miserable flesh creature now, deal with it!" Astrotrain brutally spat.

"What did I just tell you about tact…?"

"Screw tact, Thundercracker! He better accept his reality and spare us the spectacle of watching him whine like a weakling Autobot. It's pathetic."

_Reality? Was that his reality now?_

_His wings, his powerful body, his transformation cog, his null ray, his mechhood… all gone…_

Suddenly, hope invaded him like a punch.

"The well!" he yelled. "It was the Well of Transformation!"

"You are so brilliant," Skywarp mocked. "We wouldn't have realized that if you hadn't told us."

"It all makes sense now," Starscream continued, ignoring his wingmate's remark. "What are we doing in outer space, then?! Go back to the Tlakakans's planet, Astrotrain. NOW!"

"Negative. My destination is Earth," the Triplechanger replied.

A grimace of hatred appeared on Starscream's face, resembling the features of his former metallic form. There was no doubt that that young human male was the Decepticon Second in Command, or had been at least.

"Your destination will be the one I say, you idiot! And your destination happens to be the Tlakakan planet! It is an order!"

"I don't receive orders from earth germs."

"Who are you calling earth germ?!"

"Obviously neither of the _true _Decepticons present."

"You are terminated, Astrotrain!! Unless Megatron says otherwise, I'm still the Second in Command of all Decepticons! You will regret this insubordination, I assure you!"

"Insubordination?! Don't make me laugh, Starscream! Megatron would never allow a pathetic bag of meat like you to claim the title of Second in Command, I'm just anticipating his leadership reshuffle ahead of time."

"Astrotrain…"

"Oh shut it, Thundercracker. You know as well as I do that there is no way Megatron will let little-miss fleshy over there remain his Second. He may as well get used to it now; might even help him deal with the humiliation when he's stripped of his position when we arrive."

"Oh, so you're only thinking of his feelings then, huh?" Thundercracker spoke, his voice dripping with irony. "Ever the considerate one, aren't you Astrotrain?"

"You know it!" Astrotrain replied sarcastically.

Starscream pounded the floor with his fist again. "Slag it, you insufferable morons, I've had enough of your pathetic bleating! Need I remind you that I can still hear you, and am more than capable of defending myself! Now do you think that you could you focus your feeble minds on getting me back to the well instead of venting your annoying vocalizers?!"

"Yeah, ok, sorry Screamer."

"DON'T SLAGGING CALL ME THAT!"

"I thought your nickname would be the last of your concerns…"

"Astrotrain, honestly!"

Something like a whisper could be heard coming from the Triplechanger's vocalizer. "So… do I tell him or do one of you two fools want the honor?"

"We can't return to the Tlakakan planet, Starscream," Thundercracker said.

"What?! Why? All we have to do is wait until the Autobots retire…"

"It would be pointless."

"I will decide what is pointless and what is not, Thundercracker. Go back right now, Astrotrain!"

"Slag it, Screamer!" Skywarp yelled. "The damn well doesn't exist anymore!"

Starscream stared at his wingmate in absolute shock. Confusion was clear on his face, as incredulity and defeat.

"You are lying… YOU ARE LYING!"

"Listen to me, Starscream, and listen well because I won't repeat it," Astrotrain said, sick of preambles. "Skywarp blew the slagging well, so say goodbye to any stupid hope of that miraculous water giving you back your former body. You are an insignificant piece of meat now, and thus you will remain. So you better accept the idea that you stopped being a Cybertronian organism to turned into a fragile and pathetic animal, useless to the Decepticon cause by the way. Save yourself from continuing this humiliation and proceed to the back of my cargo unit. I will toss you into space and you will have a fast, perhaps painless, death. We will tell Megatron that you were destroyed in battle so that at least your name will keep some dignity."

"Slag, Astrotrain, you really have a fixation with tossing things into space," Thundercracker said.

"Only the things that repulse me, and you are about to be part of that list, Thundercracker."

Starscream ignored the Triplechanger's words, absorbed by the slap to the face that reality had insisted on giving him. "No… it can't be… the Well of Transformation can't be destroyed… not entirely at least… we have to go back."

Skywarp shook his head. "I assure you there was nothing left, Screamer."

"But… but there has to be something left, I mean… come on, it's a well, some of the water had to have splashed out… surely…"

"That may have been the case, Starscream," Thundercracker said quietly, "but by the time we get back there, it will have dried out. Sorry, but it really is gone."

Starscream clenched his fists in frustration, finding no solace in the softness of his flesh or the sensation of his nails digging into his skin.

No, it couldn't be true… he refused to believe it; something of the well's contents had to remain, it just had to…

He closed his eyes, emptied his mind… focusing only on the odd sensation of air flowing through his newly formed throat, filling his lungs. He had to think…

Suddenly, hope returned. Starscream's eyes glanced upward; toward the humid thing he could feel tickling his forehead.

"This fiber…" he said, touching his hair, "… it's damp… Quick! Take a sample."

"A sample?" Skywarp asked.

"Do your audio sensors work, you imbecile? My… my… hair… is still wet. Take a sample of the water from the well, now!"

"I don't have any equipment with me to collect samples. What about you, TC?"

Thundercracker shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not a scientist."

"For all the fragging pits in the Universe! Do I have to do everything myself…?!" Starscream cried as he directed his hands toward his stomach. But his words drowned in anguish when his hands touched nothing more than skin. There was no metal there, no hidden compartment to keep the tools of his former profession.

Thundercracker noted Starscream's frustration. It was obvious that the initial trauma of being turned into a human was far from being overcome.

"Uh… Astrotrain? You carry collection equipment, don't you?" the blue jet asked.

"Perhaps."

"Come on, you big pile of reject parts! Do you have the equipment or not?" Skywarp pressured.

"Say the magic word."

"You give me that equipment, or I will blow your slagging main console, what about that? Too many magical words for you?"

A small hatch opened in the inferior part of the threatened console, already being targeted by Skywarp's arm cannons.

"Whatever… what do I care, after all?" the Triplechanger growled.

Thundercracker grabbed the little metallic device that he remembered was used to collect liquid samples, trusting that he would know how to use it. Like Skywarp, his function was and always had been a warrior. Starscream was the only one who possessed scientific knowledge, but his current condition didn't allow him to operate any Cybertronian technology.

"Let's see… lay down, Starscream," he said as he kneeled before his Air Commander.

Starscream flinched. Thundercracker was much bigger than him now and could kill him with a single hand if he decided to do so. Never in his life had he felt so weak, so defenseless…

But he lay down on his stomach without saying a word. He felt something similar to the lubricant freezing inside his body when the device began to suck up the remaining liquid in his hair.

"Primus… you really are ugly, Screamer."

"Warp, please…" Thundercracker said.

"What, TC? I'm just telling the truth. I mean… just look at his body. His aft is divided in two… Have you ever seen something more grotesque?"

"Yeah, his exposed intimate circuitry," Astrotrain added.

"Would you shut up?! It's bad enough as it is, you don't have to remind me how disgusting I look all the fragging time!" Starscream shouted as he quickly sat up. But he knew his fellow Decepticons were right. He was barely more than a protoplasm now, an insect… One among millions of practically identical human beings, without any special characteristics, colors or shapes to make a difference…

Starscream stared at his body one more time. He was no expert in the matter, but he had been one of the few Decepticons who had marginally studied the beings that dominated the planet that hosted the richest source of energy in the known galaxies. It was that knowledge that drove him toward the next phase of his metamorphosis.

He consciously realized that he was nude, and for some reason that made him feel very uncomfortable… and ashamed.

Rapidly, he covered his crotch with his hands.

"Is something wrong, Starscream?" Thundercracker curiously asked.

Starscream didn't reply. His wingmates wouldn't understand… nobody created from metal would understand. The Transformers had their intimacy comfortably protected inside the privacy of their spark chambers. And now he was exposed, his sexuality revealed in those hideous genital organs that equaled him to any regular human being… an animal…

"Starscream?" Thundercracker insisted.

"I'm cold," the former Seeker finally answered.

"That can be solved. Astrotrain, increase your inner temperature."

"Forget it, Thundercracker. My current temperature is perfect."

"But not for Starscream. His body has no temperature regulators to protect him now. Increase ten degrees."

"But of course… Whatever it takes to make our glorious flesh leader feel comfortable. Is there anything else I can do for our squishy prince charming?"

"Don't be such a piece of junk, Astrotrain," Thundercracker spat.

The Triplechanger growled in response but increased the temperature as requested. Starscream felt an immediate relief, but he couldn't have cared less.

"So… are you going to tell us what happened back there, Screamer? Why did you choose the form of a human when you fell into the well?" Skywarp asked.

"I didn't choose anything! All I can remember is that it was precisely that that I saw just before falling… humans… those filthy Autobot pets… that kid and the golden haired female… I would crush them… I would crush them if I could…"

"You guys know what the funniest thing of all this is?" Skywarp continued. "That the reason for the Autobots presence on the Tlakakan planet was purely social! I bet you feel so stupid, don't you Screamer?"

Starscream closed his eyes in frustration. "Damn Megatron… a zillion times damn! I told him it was pointless to follow the Autobots. It was obvious that their visit to that dirty planet was only to socialize with their stupid Tlakakan friends… but no… he had to make sure they wouldn't use the Well of Transformation against us…"

"Well, you could say they did. Though I would say it was you who used it against yourself."

Thundercracker strongly elbowed Skywarp. "Warp, that's enough."

"Enough of what?" the black Seeker asked.

"So squishy one, you still haven't told us what it's like to be a worthless bag of meat," Astrotrain said totally indifferent to his comrade's devastation.

"Shut you slagging mouth you afthead," Thundercracker spat as he watched Starscream's shoulders slump further, "I doubt he'd want to tell you of all idiots how he's feeling right…"

"No, Thundercracker…" Starscream interrupted him, his voice low. "If Astrotrain wants to know what it feels like, then I'll tell him…" He lifted his head and glared directly at Astrotrain's main console, "Imagine having every layer of your metallic armour stripped away, slowly and painfully. Then, imagine having your circuits torn out, one by one, so that you can feel the burn as they arc in protest… can you imagine that, Astrotrain?"

"Ahh… not really, but do go on…"

"Well, now imagine that happening to _you_… Because that's what I'm going to do to you when I've got my body back! GOT IT?!"

Astrotrain's cargo unit began to tremble as a laugh erupted from his vocalizer, "Oh get real Starscream! You need to get it through that pathetic squishy brain of yours that you aren't getting your body back, it's gone, and there's nothing you can do about it! So your threats… well, if I were you, I'd stop wasting my breath."

"ASTROTRAIN!" Skywarp bellowed, planting a vicious kick into a nearby bulkhead.

"Ow, you slagging piece of junk! I'm gonna throw all three of you out into space…"

"I'll fragging kick you again if you don't shut the slag up!"

"Just you try it slagger, and you'll be dead before..."

"ALL OF YOU…!!" Starscream roared, his hands pressed firmly against his ears, "just shut the slag up!!"

The three remaining Cybertronians silenced themselves immediately, all optics fixed on the quivering human form in front of them.

Starscream's hands remained fixed over his ears as he spoke again, his voice barely above a whisper, "You need to realize… your voices… are so much louder, and far, _far_ more irritating to me in this current state… so _please_, shut up."

Skywarp shot a concerned glance at Thundercracker; that was the second time their leader had said the forbidden p-word. "Sorry Starscream, we weren't thinking," he apologized sincerely.

"So nothing has changed then," Starscream replied, his sarcastic remark lacking his usual acid tone.

A strong shock sent Starscream bumping around backwards. Skywarp and Thundercracker, very used to that kind of movement, barely felt the tremor.

"What the slag was that, Astrotrain?!" Starscream complained.

"And just what do you think it was? We just entered the terrestrial atmosphere. If you believe in Primus, I recommend you to entrust your spark or whatever you have now to him, because I really doubt Megatron will find all this funny. But who knows, maybe he will chain you to the launching platform as a decoration. After all, you were always a joke."

Too frightened of his immediate fate to retort to Astrotrain's rough words, Starscream felt a cold sweat running down his forehead. Was the end approaching, then? Would the Tyrant of the Firmament end his glorious life as a bloody pulp under his leader's foot, or any other of his comrades in arms for the matter?

It couldn't be… He was so young… still had many things to do, many goals to achieve… His destination was greatness. But how could a fleshling reach greatness?

Suddenly his life was locked inside a very reduced space, and there was not a single door to release him. The terrestrial ocean was already visible and, along with it, the omens of disgrace.

_To be continued._

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_Mmhh… Astrotrain can be such a jerk. But well, there was no love between him and Starscream for sure. _

_Thanks for your reviews guys, always a pleasure to read your feedback :o)_


	3. First step to Hell

**Chapter 2**

**First step to Hell**

Awkward footsteps guided Starscream toward one of Astrotrain's windows. Walking without the balance of his wings was still a difficult task, but his new body seemed to adapt fast and every new step he took was more firm than the previous one. Although that detail couldn't be more unimportant at that moment; all his attention was focused on the uncertain fate awaiting him once he arrived at the Decepticon Headquarters. He could feel his panic raising, seriously threatening his sanity.

"No…" he whispered to himself, "I can't…"

Skywarp and Thundercracker glanced at each other, divided between repugnance and pity. It was so hard to recognize their trine leader in that flesh creature…

"Starscream?" Thundercracker cautiously asked.

"I can't go back!" was the altered reply. "Not like _this!_"

"Well, we can always vaporize you, if you prefer."

"Shut up, Astrotrain."

"Your attitude is starting to repulse me beyond my limits, Thundercracker. You sound like a pathetic Autobot."

Clenched fists and a deep frown were barely able to express the anger and frustration Starscream was feeling. Listening to his comrades argue was a boring routine he was very used to, but in that moment it sounded so unbearable. The entire Universe was collapsing around him and those idiots were not being helpful at all.

"Would you shut your rusty vocalizers?! I can't go back looking like this, don't you understand?! I'm a fragging phenomenon… a joke!!"

"I totally agree with you," Astrotrain seconded.

"If the others see me like this… they will terminate me… there is no way I can survive…"

"Come on, Screamer, don't be such a paranoid freak. Maybe you can become our pet… some sort of bad luck charm, you know?" Skywarp said.

"Warp, I mean it… you better shut up."

"What, TC? I'm just trying to make him feel better."

"Obviously you are not succeeding."

Confirming Thundercracker's words, Starscream truly looked depressed, as never before. He seemed absent, lost in his own fear and disgust… totally and utterly defeated.

"Starscream may be right," Thundercracker continued. "What are his chances of survival if we take him to the Nemesis in such a defenseless condition?"

"Do you mean before or after everybody finishes laughing at him, if they ever finish, that is?"

"I'm serious, Warp. Think about it; everybody has unfinished quarrels with Starscream. There is no Decepticon who wouldn't take the opportunity to damage him given his current state."

"Yep, and I'm one of them…" Astrotrain agreed.

"True, but there is no other way to help him," Skywarp said, ignoring the Triplechanger's words. "If Megatron takes pity on him, perhaps he can order Mixmaster or Soundwave to develop a formula from that sample of the Well of Transformation you collected from Screamer's head… I guess… I don't know… I'm not a scientist geek…"

"Oh, please!!" Starscream cried. "Megatron showing any consideration to me? The blasted rustbucket will step on me as soon as he sees me!"

"Have some faith in him, Screamer," Skywarp continued. "Perhaps he will laugh so much at you that he will allow you to remain functioning, like a pet or something."

"I won't be anybody's pet!!"

"Would you stop talking nonsense, you fools?" Astrotrain said. "Soundwave is requesting our status and estimated time of arrival."

"I think the best course of action is to request a private audience with Megatron to explain him what happened," Thundercracker said.

"Too late for that," Astrotrain happily informed. "Ten breems ago I sent a message to Blitzwing informing him the good news. And guess what? I just received confirmation that the entire Nemesis crew is waiting for our arrival."

"YOU DID WHAT?!" Starscream cried. "You micro-brained maniac, you have condemned me!"

"Stop barking, dog. You condemned yourself when you were stupid enough to fall into that well. Besides, it's better for everybody to know what happened before they see you turned into the repulsive flesh bag that you are now. Actually, I did you a favour."

"And I'll make sure to show you my gratitude, Astrotrain. When I recover my body, I swear I will make you pay for every one of your insults, do you understand?"

"Yeah, right. You will never recover your body, accept it. You are a human creature just like all the others, a total weakling. I'm more worried about the germs you are certainly carrying than your childish threats."

Starscream tried to breathe as deep as he could. Calming down was impossible but he was aware that in his current state he couldn't cause in the Triplechanger anything more than repugnance. Besides, in that moment he had much bigger problems to contend with than vengeance. His survival, for example.

"Skywarp…" he said, trying to relax his voice.

"What?"

"Amongst the junk you carry in your sub pockets, I suppose you _don't _have anything to cover my body…"

"Your supposition is correct."

"That's what I thought…"

Starscream closed his eyes with frustration. He wasn't sure if he would be strong enough to survive the humiliation that was growing every astro second closer. Maybe Astrotrain was right, and it would have been better to be tossed into space. At least there nobody would have mocked him.

----------------

Starscream's green eyes stared blankly out at the organic world beyond as the shuttle form of Astrotrain landed gracefully upon the Nemesis' landing platform. A cold sweat had well and truly settled upon his body, and he could feel the beads of liquid pooling on his fragile skin, making him feel sticky; dirty.

His world was closing in on him; his power, his strength, his mechood... everything had been stripped away in an instant and replaced with the most excruciating humiliation and disgust. Being transformed into a human, a filthy, unworthy organic creature, was bad enough, but the situation that couldn't possibly get worse was about to do exactly that.

His comrades were waiting.

As was Megatron.

And probably, his death.

"Hey, looks as though we've got a welcoming party," Astrotrain said cheerfully as he silenced his engines and pulled to a stop, "mind you, I would have expected a better turn out."

"Oh, what are those fraggers doing here?" Thundercracker groaned as he spotted the two Cassetticons bounding around the platform like petro rabbits on high grade, "That's all we need..."

Starscream turned his head and looked up at his subordinate; Primus he seemed so tall now. "Let me guess," he sighed with a dishevelled tone, "the whole Pit-spawned army's out waiting for me, right?"

"No," Skywarp informed him, "just Rumble and Frenzy..."

"Great..."

"Well guys, are we ready to do this?" Skywarp asked, a sudden veil of nervousness dampening his normally boisterous personality somewhat. He looked over at Thundercracker, and then down at his leader.

Starscream's newfound body seemed to be betraying him; every muscle, every limb, was shivering despite his best efforts to control them. Fear, unlike anything he had ever before experienced, had taken hold of his heart and was crushing it, challenging its virgin rhythm with a choking grip.

He shook his head. It was all he could do.

"Starscream... it's time to go..." Thundercracker said as he lowered himself onto one knee, trying his best to level with the terrified human.

"N...no..." Starscream whispered in response.

"I know you're frightened, but we can't put it off any longer..."

"I... can't..."

Thundercracker looked up at Skywarp, his expression a mixture of confusion and concern. "I can carry you in if it makes it easier... or Warp could teleport you in...?"

"I'm completely capable of walking, thank you..." Starscream responded shortly, but his voice lacked its usual acid.

"Well, then, we've got to go in..." Thundercracker stood up and moved towards Astrotrain's opening hatch; Starscream remained where he stood.

"Oh for Primus' sake! Just get on with it you pathetic meat bag!" Astrotrain spat, his patience waning rapidly. "If you don't get out of my cargo unit NOW, I will transform and let you fall out of me. And you can bet your shiny little aft that your pathetic excuse for a body wouldn't survive a fall like that!"

"Shut up, Astroaft!" Skywarp cried, thumping a fist against one of Astrotrain's bulkheads, "It's bad enough as it is without you adding to it."

"What's the matter, Warpy? You scared you're gonna get you're aft kicked by Megatron when he finds out that you've done? Well I wouldn't worry too much, I'm sure that with all that prior warning he's already come up with a lovely punishment for you, so you won't have too much longer to wait before you're permanently deactivated and this will be nothing more a bad memory."

"Shut your fragging vocaliser, afthole, you're just as screwed as we are!"

"Pffft... I don't think so."

"SHUT UP!" Starscream cried, frustration finally getting the better of his terror. "I'm going, ok, so just shut up and make sure no one fragging steps on me, alright?!"

His three companions watched on in silence as Starscream slowly made his way to the threshold, the dull thud of his bare feet against the steely floor the only sound challenging the rasping of his panicked breaths.

--------------

As the human Seeker felt the sun caressing his flesh for the first time, he was certain it was the prelude to the unyielding cold of death. There was no other explanation for the ironic cheerfulness the warmth seemed to represent; even the accursed star was mocking him.

He took another step closer to the entrance of the base. And another. His organic eyes were focused on nothing more than that entranceway, his resolve on remaining calm, steady.

And then it happened. Something struck him on the back, cold and hard, driving the air from his lungs and throwing him unceremoniously to the ground.

"Ohh, slag... sorry Starscream!" Rumble stammered through a fit laughter, "I just thought, with you being practically the same height as me now, that I'd give you a friendly pat on the back...!"

"Oh geez, just break the slagger!" Frenzy snorted, doubled over.

Starscream simply gasped in response, quickly learning the painful lesson of what suffocation felt like to a human.

"What do you two slag-suckers want?" Thundercracker spat as he cautiously lifted Starscream to his feet again; totally oblivious to the angry limbs flailing at him in an attempt to shoo him away.

"Megatron sent us," Rumble said, attempting somewhat poorly to regain his sobriety, "he wants you guys down in the Command Centre, pronto."

"Yeah, and ya better get there quick," Frenzy continued, "'cos if ya keep 'im waiting I think he's gonna explode. I don't think I've ever seen him so pissed!"

"Yeah ya have," Rumble said playfully, "remember that time when we thought it would be a good idea to weld a cover over the barrel of his fusion cannon...?"

"Oh... yeah... You guys better fraggin run."

"Is Megatron alone?" Starscream finally spoke, his voice weak, deflated, "I don't think I can face him, let alone the others..."

"Primus, it talks!" Frenzy exclaimed, returning his attention to the naked human before him, "So what does it feel like to be human, Screamer?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," Starscream responded.

"Awww, c'mon Starscream, it could be worse."

"I don't see how."

"There are lots of things worse than being human," Frenzy said, placing a hand on Starscream's shoulder, "there's insects, and microbes, and bacteria..."

"Frenzy, I'd shut up if I were you," Skywarp warned him, watching Starscream's demeanour sink further into the depths of despair.

"I was only tryin' to cheer him up."

"Weeeell, if this lovely reunion of morons is done, I think it's about time we went in, don't you," Astrotrain said sarcastically, making his way into the base. "Are you slaggers coming, or am I gonna have send Megatron up here to meet you?"

Panic returned to Starscream, his eyes wide with terror. "I can't do this... I can't face them all... I can't... I..."

Suddenly he couldn't breathe, his lungs screaming for air, this throat refusing to let it pass. His chest began to burn as he gasped frantically, the world around him began to spin, the universe closing in around him.

"Woah, relax Screamer," Rumble said, taking hold of Starscream's shoulders, his visor level with those green organic eyes. "I think ya gotta keep breathin' if you wanna keep functioning."

Starscream closed his eyes, allowing himself to be submerged momentarily in darkness. He focused on his lungs... telling them to settle, to cast aside the spasms that were beginning to rise within. He shifted his attention to his throat; commanding it to open again, to allow passage to the air he so desperately needed. And then he inhaled.

And again.

And again.

He opened his eyes, and found the red visor of Rumble still fixated upon him. It was unnerving, not only to be under such scrutiny, but to be faced with that almost felt like compassion. And more surprisingly, concern from that Pit-spawned slagger in particular.

Starscream wondered if he were perhaps hallucinating... but he knew deep down it was real. All too real.

"You didn't answer my question before," he said weakly, "is Megatron alone, or am I going to have to face the entire army?"

"He's not alone... but I don't think everyone is in the Command Centre yet, I think there are a fair few waitin' down in the corridor..."

"I'm not ready to face some kind of perverted walk of shame... " Starscream finally spoke, his shoulders slumping even further, "Skywarp, can you teleport me to the Command Centre..."

"You got it, Screamer."

Starscream sighed, looking down at his feeble body as he did so. Why was the entire universe so against him? It wasn't fair.

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Hundreds of thousands of vorns of war had immunized the Decepticons against surprises, but not a single one of them was ready to see the human male that was supposed to be their Aerospace Commander. After looking in shocking silence at the anxious creature that had his head bowed and his hands at his crotch, the mockery started; first as some awkward laughs, and then as a frank display of scathing guffaws.

Thrust approached and grabbed the human by an ankle. "Is _this _Starscream? _This?_" he asked as he shook what seemed like an ordinary terrestrial animal to him.

"Put me down this instant, you idiot, it's an order!!!" Starscream cried, much more furious than frightened.

Thrust ignored the irate screams and lifted Starscream to his face.

"Throw it here, Thrust. I want to take a look too," Vortex said.

"So do I. It will be perfect specimen for organic experimentation," Mixmaster added.

"_It??!! _I'm not a slagging animal, frag it!!!" Starscream yelled, shaking as hard as he could from the Conehead's grip. Of course, his efforts were useless.

From his throne, Megatron had his narrowed optics fixated on the creature that was supposed to be his Second in Command. The harsh face of the Decepticon leader seemed not to share the general gibberish that the sudden novelty was causing.

"Is he really completely human, Soundwave?" he finally said, silencing the rest of the Decepticons with the pure sound of his voice.

"Initial scannings indicate so, but more specific proofs must be taken in order to provide an accurate diagnostic."

"Take care of that, then. The Well of Transformation can have failures in completely transforming the structure of a living being, according to the mental waves of said being at the moment of the transformation. It happened with Rumble, when he was turned into a tree. According to your report, he suffered a very imprecise mutation."

"Affirmative. Rumble's mental patterns were confused, and the Well of Transformation decoded them in an equivalent manner."

"Don't remind me of that!" Rumble complained. "Those were the worst astro seconds of my entire life."

Dirge pointed his finger toward Starscream. "Starscream's transformation had failures too. See? He's defective," he said.

"What do you mean?" Blast Off asked.

"He has three legs."

"Three? I only see two."

"Take a closer look, everybody," Dirge continued approaching Starscream, who remained hanging upside down, his right ankle firmly held by Thrust. "There are these two legs, and a third one in the middle that didn't develop, much smaller than the other two."

Immediately, Starscream uselessly attempted to cover his inner thighs with his hands, a very hard task considering Thrust's ungentle grip and the pressure of gravity.

"That is not a leg!" the young man cried.

"Then what is it?" Reflector asked.

"That's not of your concern!"

"I know what it is!! See the finger like thing and the flesh bag? Those are his intimate circuitry," Frenzy cheerfully informed the throng, happy to know something the others didn't.

"His intimate circuitry? That small thing? How degrading," Onslaught disdainfully spat.

"It is NOT small!" Starscream instinctively protested, his face red, a combination of fury and shame. He certainly wasn't enjoying the fact that certain parts of his new physiognomy were suddenly the focus of everybody's attention.

"I would say it's kind of big, for a human of course," Rumble said, talking like an expert.

"Yeah, but not that big. Some porn stars have bigger sizes," Frenzy added.

"I bet if we were to mate him with some human femme we would see his real dimensions…"

"FOR THE LAST TIME, I'M NOT AN ANIMAL!!"

"What do you know, scraplets?" Hook asked the Cassetticon twins, ignoring Starscream's rant.

"What, you're not gonna tell us you've never seen human pornographic films, are you Hook?" Rumble asked.

"Watching organic creatures copulating is not part of my professional interests."

"Well then, you are so boring."

"The runts are right," Drag Strip said. "All of you morons wouldn't believe the importance the humans give to their mating rituals. They practically don't think about anything else."

"You say that because you Stunticons are obsessed with terrestrial culture. What else could be expected from fake Cybertronians such as yourselves?" Scrapper spat.

"Did you just insult us, Constructicon?" Motormaster growled.

"If the miniature processor you have functions, I highly recommend you to activate it."

"You are finished, junk pile!" Wildrider shouted as he materialized his scattershot gun.

"ENOUGH!"

The incoming fight was immediately stopped by Megatron's authoritarian voice.

"Put Starscream down, Thrust, and don't break him… yet," he ordered. His voice was strangely calm and neutral, which was potentially dangerous.

The Conehead Seeker obeyed. He got on one knee and pushed Starscream to the front. The young human jolted forward for some seconds before stopping with a thud.

"Be careful, you idiot!!" Starscream complained, rubbing his sore buttocks.

"I was," Thrust replied.

"I'm made of flesh now, you imbecile! Practically everything hurts me!"

"Ah, the drama queen…"

"You slagging pit melting face fragger…!" Starscream yelled as he got up from the floor with his fists clenched to their limits, but he almost fell again when a heavy foot stomped behind him.

Starscream turned around, only to find the dangerously close figure of Megatron. Once again assaulted by modesty, the former Seeker hurriedly placed his hands on his inseam.

"Why do you always get yourself into these situations, Starscream?" Megatron asked, staring at the human the same way he would have stared at an insect.

"It's not that I precisely asked for this to happen, Megatron!" was the indignant answer.

Megatron sighed and put a tired hand on his face. "And precisely now, when I needed your aerial unit complete… You stupid fool; I should crush you right now!!"

"It was Skywarp's fault!!" Starscream hurried to say. "He destroyed the Well of Transformation! It should be him the receiver of your fury, not me!! It should be him that's trapped in a flesh body!"

Megatron's furious optics fixated on the black and purple Seeker.

"NO!! T-that's not true, Megatron! I… I accidentally blew up the Well of Transformation, indeed, but… but Starscream fell in it because of his own stupidity! It was totally his mistake! I assure you, my leader…"

"Liar! If you and Thundercracker had covered me as I ordered you to, I wouldn't be a meat bag now!!" Starscream yelled, suddenly forgetting about his obvious disadvantages and running toward his black and purple wingmate, kicking his shin as hard as he could.

"Ha! I barely felt that," Skywarp mocked as Starscream jumped back, grabbing his right foot with both hands.

"You will regret this Skywarp, I swear you will!" Starscream managed to say within groans of pain.

"Silence!" Megatron interrupted the quarrel. "Why is that every time I send you micro-brained morons to some vital mission you come back only with excuses?! And this time you bring me not only excuses, but this joke of Subcommander?"

Starscream continued jumping back until he unceremoniously fell on his buttocks, still holding his sore foot.

"I've had enough of your stupidities for today! Skywarp, Thundercracker, take this… _thing_ out of my sight and don't you dare show your faces until I summon you again!"

Thundercracker hurried to pick up Starscream and followed Skywarp, who had already teleported out before reaching the door.

_To be continued._

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_Petitions to comfort Starscream are being received at the hangar of the Nemesis. Send your application if you dare. Yeah, despite the danger of being crushed, there is a HUGE line of fangirls awaiting… including the authors of this story of course :oD_

_Let us know if you enjoyed the chapter. Thank you guys for your support!_


	4. A prison of 206 bones

_We were notified that countless applications to comfort Starscream were received in the Nemesis. We knew you guys had a big heart, but some of you took things to the extreme and tied him to a bed! Bad bad bad girls… Er… this rope in our hands is for navigation purposes only!_

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**Chapter 3**

**A prison of 206 bones**

Countless metallic walls passed rapidly before the organic eyes of Starscream as he was being carried by Thundercracker, each wall identical to the previous one. Even the lights were placed in perfect symmetry within the corridors; meticulous Cybertronian organization but, for some reason, Starscream found it monotonous and repetitive. Could it be that losing his metallic body meant he had lost his perception as well? Was his transformation something more than physical? The mere thought made him shudder.

"Could you put me down? I can walk by myself," he complained with annoyance, looking upwards to the serious face of his blue wingmate.

"Your lack of speed would slow us and we can't allow ourselves such luxury. We are easy targets in this zone of the Nemesis if somebody decides to ambush us."

"Great," Starscream grumbled. "So I'm not only turned into a flesh creature, but now you treat me like a sparkling."

"Don't blame us for trying to protect you," Skywarp said. "If you hadn't been such a slagging afthole with everybody who had the misfortune to meet you, perhaps the idea of crushing you wouldn't be so attractive."

"You are the less than qualified to talk about companionship, Skywarp! If you hadn't have blown that fragging well up, I wouldn't be in this situation right now!"

"But you are, alright? And you know, at least I don't spend my life stabbing the backs of my comrades in arms."

"Would you two shut up?" Thundercracker intervened, tired. "We have real problems to face now, unlike your silly fights."

"Real problems? Like what?"

"Like the obvious, Warp! What are we supposed to do with Starscream?"

Skywarp shrugged his shoulders. "Use him as a yo-yo?"

"Warp…"

"Don't talk about me as if I am not here, you fools!" Starscream cried. "It's bad enough that everybody considers me some kind of exotic creature!"

"Well, that's exactly what you are now."

"One day, Skywarp… one day I will be myself again, and when that day comes, I'll make you swallow all your insults, one by one."

"Yeah, you told Astrotrain the same thing. Should I start lubricating on myself in fear?"

Thundercracker sighed, silently asking Primus for patience. "Warp, somehow Starscream got into this problem because of you. And Starscream, do I really have to remind you that we are the only support you have right now? Do you think anybody else would lift a finger for you if not to crush you?"

"That's true, Screamer. You won't last one astro second alive without the help of your dearest wingmates, so you better start showing us some respect. What about calling us masters, for example?"

"Go and frag yourself."

"As a matter of fact, I've been thinking about changing your name. How about Fido? Or do you prefer Fifi?"

"How about _the one that is going to break your aft, you gasketroid face_?"

"Primus, you two are annoying!" Thundercracker shouted. "Not even under such unique circumstances can you stop being a pair of glitches! Could you get serious for a moment?"

"Alright, alright…" Skywarp gave up. "So, you were saying, what are we going to do with Starscream?"

"What do you mean what you are going to do with me? Take me to my personal quarters, of course."

"It could be dangerous," Thundercracker said.

"I can take care of myself!"

"Is that so?" the blue Seeker continued. "How? In your current condition, even a maintenance droid could kill you with one single hand."

"I'll be fine."

"I have my doubts… Why don't you keep him for tonight, Warp?"

"Forget it! I don't want squishy things in my quarters."

"Who are you calling squishy, you scraphead?"

"Technically speaking, it wasn't an insult… Hey, TC, since you love to be such a wise aft, why don't _you_ keep him?"

"Negative. I like to recharge alone."

"Would you stop patronizing me?!" Starscream said, punching Thundercracker's hand. "Not even when I was a sparkling did anybody care a frag about me, so don't give me any disgusting sentimental attitudes now! I already told you I'll be alright. I'm very able to protect myself. My security system will keep away any potential aggressors."

"Still," Thundercracker continued, "I don't think your quarters are the most proper place for your new physiognomy. There must be some needs that you have now…"

"I'll manage."

"Suit yourself. But what are you going to do when you feel the need to energize yourself?"

"I'm not hungry."

"You will be eventually, and we all know you won't find anything remotely resembling human fuel inside this base."

"I plan to recover my real self before actually starting to feel hungry. I will determine the chemistry composition of the water of the well this same night and will start its elaboration immediately."

"And if you don't succeed, you can always eat your own feet," Skywarp laughed.

Starscream shot a killer glance to his black wingmate but decided not to be involved in another useless insult exchange.

"However," he said, unable to hide his discomfort, "there is something that you can provide me…"

"What is it?" Thundercracker asked.

"I will need human garments… clothes," Starscream continued with low voice.

"Why the slag do you need that?" Skywarp asked.

"In case you haven't realized, genius, I'm stark naked."

"So?"

"So… I can't remain this way!"

"You have done it until now and you keep functioning… sorry, breathing. What is the problem?"

"That it's terribly embarrassing, you dolt, that is the problem! Do you think I enjoy exhibiting this… hanging intimate circuitry everywhere around? Not to mention I'm freezing."

"Starscream may have a point, Warp," Thundercracker said. "Get him some clothes."

"Me? Why don't you do it, TC?"

"Because you are partially responsible for his condition. The least you can do for him now is give him some dignity."

"It was about time for you to use your vocalizer with some intelligence, Thundercracker," Starscream said ironically.

"Shut up, or I'll take back what I said."

"And where am I supposed to get him clothes?" Skywarp asked.

"All the inhabitants of this planet use them; they must not be hard to find. Use your imagination," Thundercracker replied.

"Alright, alright… I'll get him the fragging clothes, but it will have to wait till the next solar cycle. I'm exhausted."

"And what am I supposed to do until then? Freeze my afterburners?"

Skywarp burst into laughter. "You don't have afterburners anymore, Screamer! Now you have a…"

"Don't say it!" the humanized Seeker interrupted. "Just… don't say it…"

"Whatever. I'll do that unworthy clothes mission for you, but as I said, you will have to wait and freeze your squishy aft meanwhile. In case any of you two didn't notice, I got shot today and my shoulder is killing me. But, as always, it's always the Starscream show around here…"

---------------

The proud structure of the Decepticon leader sat hunched in his throne, his weary head resting in his powerful hands. His humanised Air Commander had disappeared from his sight only a few breems beforehand, the remainder of his treacherous army following soon after. Darkness filled the Command Centre, the subtle light generated by the computer monitors before him creating sinister shadows over his body, reflecting his dangerous mood.

"Tell me it's a joke," Megatron growled, "tell me it's a slagging joke!"

"Negative: all initial scans reveal..."

"Shut up, Soundwave," Megatron spat, his crimson optics burning with malice as he cast a dark glare in the direction of his Communications Officer. It didn't matter that the loyal navy Decepticon was steadfastly trying to regain control of the situation in that moment, Megatron wanted to kill him just for the sake of it.

Rage filled his spark, pure and unadulterated, threatening the existence of any being unfortunate enough to cross his path. Someone needed to die, it didn't matter who... but he swallowed the urge like a bitter pill, settling instead for another useless exchange of words.

"It's beyond belief," he said harshly, "that he would be so stupid as to get himself turned into a human; a pathetic, worthless, bag of meat unworthy of the Decepticon cause. I expect it of others... it didn't surprise me when Rumble was transformed into a tree... but Starscream? I thought he was supposed to be more intelligent than that. No, check that; I thought he was too fragging egomaniacal to let it happen, intelligence has nothing to do with it. What in the Pit inspired him to think of those blasted flesh creatures at precisely the moment he fell in the well? Surely he of all self-obsessed mechs could have managed to think of himself..."

An angry roar escaped his vocaliser as Megatron stood and began to pace, his arm swinging furiously at a pile of datapads resting on a nearby control panel, scattering them unceremoniously across the room.

"Imbecile! What in the Pit am I supposed to do with him now!"

"Termination an option," Soundwave stated without emotion.

Megatron looked up at his subordinate with narrowed optics, a wry smirk curving the corner of his mouth. "Indeed it is," he replied, humour colouring his voice slightly. He had known Soundwave long enough to notice just how much the Communicator was enjoying the current situation, despite the lack of any obvious external expression to illustrate that fact. "But as tempting as that option is, Soundwave, it is not one I'm willing to take... yet."

The Supreme Commander moved to stand beside Soundwave in front of the main computer, his optics falling on the images streaming in from the base's countless security cameras. With a feeling of absolute disgust he watched on as his finest flyers, the crowning trine in the Decepticon aerial elite, hurried like misbehaved sparklings through the corridors, no doubt seeking to put as much distance as possible between themselves and the place where Megatron now stood. The object of his hate, their _leader_, was clutched in the hands of Thundercracker.

It didn't escape Megatron's attention that the young human was frustrated, his expression a mixture of rage, disgust, distress… The mighty Decepicon Commander drank it in with avid delight. But the reaction that brought the greatest pleasure was that of his Sub Commander's humiliation; watching him in his pathetic attempts to hide his nudity was simply hilarious.

Not that it calmed his rage any less.

"No..." Megatron purred after a moment of silence, "let's at least let him suffer for a while before killing him off..."

----------------

An immense shadow fell over Starscream as soon as the doors of his personal quarters closed and he was left alone.

It was very strange to feel so foreign in his own private accommodations. His furniture, his computer, his laboratory, his cleaning unit… everything was so… alien to him.

"Lights at fifty percent."

Nothing happened; his voice got lost somewhere within the sterile metallic walls.

Starscream frowned. Of course… his computer hadn't identified his voice. But he was a survivor, a fighter… No disgrace was big enough to defeat his eternal perseverance.

Certainly being a human being no taller than his former calves was a disadvantage in a room designed for an average size Cybertronian, but it wouldn't be difficult to program one of his cleaning droids to perform all those tasks that his new dimensions wouldn't allow him to do by himself.

He anxiously stared at the hermetically sealed metallic tube that contained the liquid sample that Thundercracker had extracted from his hair. Starscream felt the heart inside his chest beating furiously at the sight of his hopes laying on one of his workbenches. He had spoken with so much confidence, but would he really be able to duplicate the water of the Well of Transformation? Deciphering the formula didn't worry him, but the alien components that the liquid contained wouldn't be easy to find… After all, the Well of Transformation of the Tlakakans was something unique within the known galaxies.

Starscream shook his head. It was too soon to have defeatist thoughts. He would recover his former body, no matter the cost. Staying like a weak and perishable human being wasn't an option. He would never accept it.

----------------

Half an hour later, the lights of Starscream's personal quarters were activated at the desired fifty percent. In very few breems, the persistent ex Seeker had been able to convert the smallest data pad he could find into a remote control, able to control all the devices of his room and provide him with direct access to his computer files.

He smirked for the first time since he had been turned into a human. Inorganic or not, he would always dominate technology.

His ambitious glance moved toward his laboratory, but there was something he had to do first. His body was sticky, dirtied by a mix of crystalized energon, lubricant and water of the well. For any Seeker, hygiene and physical appearance were priorities due to their conceited nature. For Starscream, more than priorities, they were obsessions. He knew perfectly well that he wouldn't be able to concentrate on the analysis of the sample if he didn't solve his problem of filthiness first, so he decided to give up to his natural egomaniacal personality and headed toward his cleaning unit.

Activating it wouldn't be difficult, thanks to his recently created remote control. However, the device fell to the floor once he stepped inside the rectangular structure that was so good at keeping his beloved former armor clean and polished.

The young man didn't hear the noise of the device crashing against the floor, didn't notice that his hands were suddenly empty… His horrified stare was fixated right in front of him, on the image the big mirror of his cleaning unit was returning to him.

For the first time since the nightmare had started, Starscream was staring at the complete image of his new appearance, at the creature he was forced to recognize as himself.

He had examined his body during the flight back to Earth, but he hadn't been very observant in that first analysis, too busy being nervous and frightened about his immediate fate. But now, in the loneliness of his personal quarters, the raw reality hit him with enormous strength: _he _was that flesh creature standing before him… _he _had those organic eyes that were opened to their limits… _his _was that half opened mouth… _his _were those bare arms and legs… _his_ those hated exposed genitals that were so unworthy of replacing his powerful intimate circuitry…

But what impacted him the most was the sight of his face. His dark, virile and esthetic face was no more. What the mirror reflected was the foreign face of a stranger…

He had faced humans before; he had seen the fear in their eyes, he had heard them screaming as they ran away from him, insulting him when they felt lost, begging for their miserable lives… Now he was one of them, just as fragile and weak… just like an insect.

He slowly passed his fingers over his face, trying to find something that he could identify, anything… Somewhere, within the living nightmare, he recognized his expression, his features… But that didn't bring any relief; it just reminded him that he, Starscream, Second in Command and Aerospace Commander of the powerful Decepticon Army was only that… a human.

-----------

Starscream cringed when he felt the first stream of water falling over his body. It hadn't been complicated to regulate the temperature of the liquid into something bearable for his new organic body, but still the experience was far away from being pleasant.

He wanted to scrub himself clean, to take something abrasive and scour his filthy flesh that would never truly be sanitary until it came away like latex, peeling and tearing. Starscream wondered if he would look like a human underneath that horrible skin, if the ordered system of circuits and tubes, computers and pumps, had been replaced with the fragile and inferior arrangement of muscles and bones, blood and bile…

But of course it had been.

That was his reality now; a once proud Cybertronian, a being of alloy, now trapped in a prison of 206 bones.

The water pounded against his flesh without remorse, a thousand needles falling upon him, threatening to penetrate the feeble barrier his skin represented. How he despised that wretched element; the bringer of organic life, the bringer of rust and mould and decay…

And now he was forced to cleanse himself with it, just like an animal.

He wished that any of his solvents or cleaning solutions were gentle with his human body, but all of them were dangerously toxic to his skin, some even able to kill him, so he had to be satisfied with simple hydrogen and oxygen.

But that wasn't what was bothering him at that moment. The sensation of the water falling on him couldn't disguise the embarrassing truth, the feeling of that small discomfort at the lower part of his stomach that he had noticed for the first time when Astrotrain had entered the terrestrial atmosphere. As breems went by, the sensation only changed to increase.

He wasn't facing the mirror and couldn't see his face blushing, but he felt it… the overwhelming sensation of extreme embarrassment, of indignation…

One thing was certain: he couldn't postpone it anymore. He wouldn't recover his body as soon as he wanted, so he would have to degrade himself with one of the most unworthy features of being organic.

His shivering hands directed themselves toward the object of his anguish and grabbed it. Something like an electric shock hit him when he felt the touch of his fingers on his intimate parts. It wasn't as disagreeable as he had thought it would be, but it wasn't pleasant either… It was simply humiliating.

He didn't dare to look downwards, it was too much… He leaned his forehead on the wall before him and forced himself to focus in his immediate objective.

_Concentrate… concentrate… all organics can do it… it must be similar to expelling unnecessary lubricant… how difficult can it be?_

But it was difficult, terribly difficult. The water continued falling on his body as his accursed new body denied to work as expected.

A frustrated groan escaped from whatever he had now instead of his vocalizer. He couldn't function as a human, he just couldn't… Even the most basic functions were an impossible nightmare.

Starscream fell on his knees, his fists punching the wet floor. Water continued raining over him; he didn't know for how long.

_To be continued._

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_OK, Starscream needs a hug… no ropes please. Have you thought about handcuffs? ;oP_


	5. Pets and nitroglycerin don't mix

**Chapter 4**

**Pets and nitroglycerin don't mix**

Starscream sat cross-legged on top of his workbench, his elbow resting on his knee, his head in his palm; the fingers of his right hand tapping impatiently against the metal surface. He had lost count of how many breems had passed since he had first extracted the tiniest amount of the well's water from the sample tube; totally absorbed in its analysis. Yet despite his efforts each path of investigation had ended in exactly the same way as that of its predecessor.

A dead end.

Through the use of his improvised remote control, and a collection of his smaller scientific tools, Starscream had managed to fashion himself a functioning chemistry set; enough to enable the most basic scrutiny. With incessant perseverance, the ex Seeker had been able to extract and identify each and every component of that slagging liquid; each had been carefully logged into the datapad before him, each one double checked and confirmed... Each and every component...bar one.

He shook his head in frustration, totally baffled. He knew it when he first began the analysis that things were working too well, the formula too easy to deconstruct...that one single component was proving to be the sticking point his paranoia had predicted.

Starscream threw the datapad away from him in defeat; the rectangular devise sliding over the smooth surface of the workbench before falling unceremoniously over the edge. The sound of it crashing against the floor beneath brought a satisfied smirk to the Seeker's lips. He didn't need the datapad anyway, he had already memorised its information. The human repeated the list out aloud, trying his best to focus:

Carbon...

Nitrogen...

Hydrogen...

Oxygen.

Carbon...

Nitrogen...

Hydrogen...

Oxygen.

An explosive combination, Starscream mused; it seemed that the mystery ingredient stabilised the liquid as well as enabling the transformation process to occur. But despite that fact, he still could not identify it; it didn't appear to be an element found on Earth, nor did it resemble those found on Cybertron.

Starscream stood up and moved towards his setup, determined to find his answer. His mind was lost to his surroundings; nothing existed in that moment but that liquid...

It wasn't until the familiar sensation of wind rushing past his body took hold that the human realised something was wrong, the first taste of self-flight since his transformation illuminating the fact that he was no longer on the workbench.

He was falling...

As the floor rushed up to meet him, the human realised that he must have stepped over the edge. Instinctively, Starscream attempted to pull up, but without wings the effort was useless...

---------------

A sharp pain in the middle of nowhere…

In his arm, perhaps… Had he been wounded? The crystalline water of the Well of Transformation suddenly turned into an infinite black abyss, absorbing him.

He flew, forcing his engines as much as he could. His speed had surpassed by far his most remarkable achievements on the matter, but he kept falling… He could feel the accursed water licking his fuselage; he could see the darkness invading everything, wrapping him like a cloak…

He had to escape… one… two galaxies… nothing was enough. He fell deeper into the well, no matter his efforts to flee. Suddenly, his engines ceased to function. The sky was not his element anymore; it was a foreigner… His wings didn't respond to him, neither his thrusters…

He saw on the edge of the well a multitude of human beings. They were pointing at him, mocking him… Amongst the crowd he could distinguish the Autobots' pets, that annoying kid and the female that was his bond mate… The last thing he saw before the darkness devoured him was her shinning golden hair.

The pain in his arm returned.

"Is he dead?"

"Don't be stupid. Can't you see he's breathing?"

_Breathing?_

Panic returned Starscream to consciousness. He opened his eyes and found Rumble and Frenzy towering over him, staring at him with childish curiosity. Frenzy was kneeling, poking his arm.

"See? I told ya he was still functioning," Rumble said.

Starscream immediately sat up, realizing he was on the floor of his quarters. He dragged himself backwards, grabbing his sore biceps. He was used to looking at Rumble and Frenzy from his much taller height. How was it possible for them to be so big now, even taller than him…?

The memories of the previous solar cycle returned to torment him. The pain, the humiliation, the desperation… everything was so fresh again.

But fear took over the battle of distressing emotions. He looked upward, toward the distant surface of one of the workbenches in his laboratory. The sample of the Well of Transformation's water was still there, the only hope that kept him attached to what he couldn't call life anymore.

"Hey Screamer, are you OK?" Rumble asked.

"You look like you're ready for the scrapheap," Frenzy added.

"I'm fine… What the slag are you two doing here? How did you trespass my security system?"

"What are we doing here?" Rumble laughed, ignoring Starscream's last question. "What are _you _doing there? We walk in and find you lying on the floor… What a way to recharge, huh? What happened? Couldn't you reach your berth?"

"No, no…" Starscream replied as he covered his crotch with his hands. "I just fell from the workbench… I must have offlined with the hit."

"Well, you were lucky you didn't reach the final shutdown. So? Any broken bones?" Frenzy asked.

"I already told you I'm alright. Now leave!"

Rumble flew toward Starscream's computer and glanced with astonishment at what the screen displayed.

"Oh holy slag… Frenz, check this out!! Screamer was doing some research on the human internet."

"Let me see! Oooh wow! What is this…? _Instructions for urinating?_"

"Turn that off!!" Starscream furiously cried.

Frenzy burst into laughter. "But of course!! All organics do it! What's wrong, Screamer? Did you have problems with taking you first leak?"

Rumble returned to the floor and elbowed his twin. "Yeah Screamer, why in the Pit did you need to look for instructions? All humans can pee, it's so natural! Maybe you are even less than human…"

"You runts will shut your dirty vocalisers or I will make sure you stop using them permanently!"

"Yeah, right Screamer. And how do you plan to do that? Will you pee on us til we rust?"

Frenzy celebrated his brother's comment with a resounding guffaw but finally managed to somehow control himself. "So? Could you do it or not? You should've asked us before looking for help on the human network. We have spent more time between humans than any other Decepticon. We are the master experts concerning fleshlings."

"Yeah," Rumble seconded. "We know the meat bags and their disgusting habits. Here, have some advice for next time: if you shake your wang more than three times after peeing, you are playing with it."

Mockering guffaws hurt the deepest corner of Starscream's dignity, if he still had some left.

"Don't you even think, you idiots, that I am defenceless. It's not good for your puny lives to annoy me. Now leave! I am busy!"

"Ha! Can't do that," Rumble said. "Soundwave sent us to retrieve you. He's going to do some tests on you."

"Tests? No slagging way!" Starscream cried, standing up and starting to run, terrified by the idea of falling into the always sadistic hands of Soundwave.

"Your opinion is… how did Megatron put it? Oh yeah… _irrevelant... iverrelant... irrelevant?… _Well, something like that… Get'im Frenzy!"

Almost immediately, Starscream felt something tackling him from behind, returning him painfully to the floor.

He fell on his chest, hitting his chin in the process. He saw Rumble's feet approaching and stopping very close to his face.

"Sooooo… are you gonna be a good boy or do we have to get rude?" the blue Cassetticon asked.

"Screw yourself."

"As you wish, then. Frenzy! Gimme a hand, will ya?"

As if he were manipulating a toy, Rumble turned Starscream on his back and lifted him up, grabbing him by the armpits. Starscream struggled as hard as he could but there was nothing he could do against the superior strength of his captor. His frenetic kicks were stopped by Frenzy, who grabbed his ankles.

"Put me down this instant! You can't carry me like this! It's degrading!"

"Stop resisting! You are such a crybaby," Rumble spat, shaking him roughly, setting a certain hated part of his anatomy dancing in protest.

"Wait! We have to retrieve the sample from the Well of Transformation too."

"You are right, Frenz. You get it. I don't want to be close to that slagging water ever again."

"How do you know about the sample?" Starscream asked.

"One word: begins with Astro and ends with choo choo," Frenzy said as he released Starscream's legs and flew toward the workbench.

"No! Don't touch that sample!"

Rumble silenced Starscream, roughly grabbing him by the torso and unceremoniously throwing him over his shoulder. The ex Seeker's chin hit against the Cassetticon's back, but that didn't stop him from attacking with his flesh-and-bone fists the hard structure of his captor.

"Hey, stop that! It tickles," Rumble giggled.

"Put me down, Rumble! I am still your superior officer! You cannot treat me this way!"

"I can and I'm doing it, see?"

"This is humiliating!"

"See how much I care."

"I have the sample. Let's go," Frenzy said, flying back with the metallic tube containing Starscream's only hope in his hands.

-------------

Starscream's worst nightmare continued when, still carried over Rumble's shoulder, he caught sight of the three Conehead Seekers approaching from behind, certainly waiting for their opportunity to inflict some damage on their disgraced Air Commander .

"Hey Rumble, I see you're taking your pet for a walk," Ramjet said.

Dirge burst into laughter. "But what an ugly pet you have… Oh, sorry Starscream, we didn't recognize you."

"You look slightly different…" Thrust said, trying not to laugh. "Have you lost weight?"

From his unworthy place, Starscream pointed a tense finger toward his wingmates.

"Laugh while you still can! I will not forget any of your offenses, do you hear me?!"

"Oh, really? And what are you going to do, Screamer? Bite us?"

"You can't talk to me that way, Ramjet!! I'm still your superior officer and you will address me with respect!"

"You bet, oh mighty Air Commander," Thrust retorted. "After all, your current appearance inspires nothing but respect."

"Hey!" Dirge cheered. "Why don't we take him to one of those pet contests like they have on those terrestrial television shows?"

"Great idea, Dirge!" Ramjet seconded. "Do you think you can stand on your two paws, Starscream, and balance a ball with your nose?"

Dirge burst into laughter. "If that's too difficult for you, you can always try jumping through a ring on fire."

Starscream's face had acquired a red tonality due to pure fury. A vein was palpitating on his forehead, apparently about to explode.

"No, wait, I got it!" Thrust said. "I think you would be perfect for one of those commercials the humans do for their pets' fuel. I can imagine you eating from a bowl beside other dogs."

"Just make sure you don't get your aft bitten..."

"If you scum-buckets value your lives, you will stop talking slag!!" Starscream cried, interrupting Ramjet. "Hear my words and hear them well: I will make you regret every laugh, every insult... Do you understand??"

"Huh? Did you say something, Starscream?" Dirge laughed. "Sorry but we don't understand barking. Hey Rumble, why don't you lend us Screamer for a while? We caught some sharks and we have this theory that he would look amusing swimming for his life."

"Sorry guys," Rumble said, enjoying Starscream's humiliation as much as the fliers, "but Fido can't come and play wit' ya right now, he's gotta have his flea bath."

"Awww...poor Fido," Ramjet laughed, "maybe you could ask for something to cover you up while you're there, I doubt a bath will do anything to cure your ugliness."

"Yeah," Frenzy continued, patting the Seeker's aft like a human would pat a dog, "he's a bit grumpy right now, but once he gets his rabies shot, he should be ok."

It wasn't common for the Coneheads to share a joke with the Cassetticons, but Frenzy's words awakened a rare moment of frivolity between the ranks.

"Rabies?!" Thrust snorted, "Starscream doesn't have rabies, he's always been that crazy."

"Shut your pit-spawned vocalisers!"

"Maybe he's always had rabies, then?" Frenzy suggested.

"Doesn't matter, it always ends in death anyway," Dirge laughed. "Don't cure him of it, you'll spoil the fun."

"I'll slagging kill you all!"

"I don't think Megatron would like that," Rumble said, "I think he'd rather crush Fido himself, ya know?"

"That I'd like to see," Thrust cheered, poking Starscream's back, "what a worthy way for you to die, squished between Megatron's fingers!"

"Well, we'll soon see if that happens, won't we, Screamer?" Rumble said, bouncing Starscream's body on his shoulder. "Sorry to break up the party guys, but Fido's fate is just down that corridor an' if we don't hurry up, Megatron will kick our afts too."

"You will pay for this humiliation!" Starscream bellowed as the two Cassettes continued happily on their way, the sound of the Conehead's laughter still ringing though the corridors.

_Te be continued._

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_Sorry for taking some time to update this story. Good news is that we have next chapter almost done, so expect a really fast update. We hope you enjoyed!_


	6. Beware of mechs bearing needles

_As promised, fast update. Enjoy!_

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**Chapter 5**

**Beware of mechs bearing needles**

Still dizzy from his unworthy voyage through the Nemesis base, Starscream fell on his buttocks on the cold floor, right before Megatron's huge feet.

He hurried to get up, afraid of whatever his leader might do. Being so close to him, becoming a pulp of blood and bones was more than a simple possibility.

"Oh, please don't get up because of me, Starscream," Megatron mocked. "I would invite you to sit but I'm afraid we are a little short on chairs for insects."

Megatron joking was no guarantee of safety. Starscream knew perfectly well how the sick processor of his Commander worked, and one of his favourite tactics before terminating an enemy was precisely that one: joking.

"M-megatron…" the human stammered.

"How was your first night as an earthling?" Megatron interrupted him. "I trust your accommodations were proper for your new condition."

Starscream's eyes narrowed with hate. Megatron had always been taller than him, stronger… but that never stopped the Seeker from confronting his leader. This time wouldn't be the exception.

"Would you quit the sarcasm, Megatron? My night was a living hell. Is your curiosity satisfied now?"

"You shouldn't talk about hell so easily, Starscream. If there is somebody in this Universe that can turn your life into, I quote you, a living hell, that's me, and you should already know that perfectly."

"Fine, fine… I grant you that, leader, more now than ever. But I suppose you didn't summon me here just to state your infinite superiority. Knowing you as I do, I assume you have made a decision concerning me."

"Perhaps."

"Before you say anything, please allow me to…"

Megatron unleashed a brutal punch on the arm rest of his chair. "Silence! I didn't make you come here to listen to your pathetic rambling. If you know what is good for you, you will keep your disgusting mouth closed. I hope you understand that your life is standing on a very thin line."

"But Megatron…"

"Soundwave, proceed."

Starscream flinched when he saw the azure demon that emerged from the shadows.

"No! Stay away from me, Soundwave! Leave me alone!" the terrified former Seeker cried as he backed off.

Frenzy came up from behind and grabbed his arms, not allowing him to retreat even one step more.

"Where do you want him, chief?"

Soundwave pointed toward a nearby repair berth and Starscream was dragged there, all his efforts to free himself a waste.

"NO! Let go of me!" he cried.

Megatron got up from his chair and approached the repair berth. "Stop being such a damsel in distress and show some courage, you cowardly wimp. We are not going to cut you up… yet. Soundwave will only perform some simple tests on you."

Frenzy lay Starscream on his back on the workbench whilst Rumble chained his spread wrists and ankles with four conveniently placed shackles.

"I won't tolerate being restrained like this! Release me!!"

"I thought I told you to shut up, you fool!" Megatron yelled. "I highly recommend you not to challenge my patience today, Starscream. Behave like a Decepticon for once in your pathetic life."

Starscream forced himself to calm down. It wasn't wise to anger Megatron, not when he wasn't in a condition to stand a punch or a fusion cannon shot. If he wanted the opportunity to have some sort of civilized talk with his leader, he would have to cope with the humiliation of being treated like a subject of experimentation.

Soundwave approached. From the tip of one his fingers, a white gas emerged, bathing Starscream's body.

"Aaarrghh!! It's cold!!! What the slag is that?!" he cried in panic.

"Soundwave is just disinfecting you, relax," Rumble explained.

"Disinfecting me? I am not contaminated! This procedure is totally unnecessary!"

"I will decide what is unnecessary and what is not," Megatron stated.

Starscream fixated on his leader a glance that shot daggers. "You are enjoying this, aren't you Megatron? You know as well as I do that humans do not carry any kind of virus or germ able to infect our kind! You are only doing this to humiliate me!"

Megatron smirked. "Am I that transparent? Yes, Starscream, I am doing this to humiliate you, and I can't tell you how gratifying it is."

Starscream bit his lip, barely able to contain the storm of insults he was dying to shout at the accursed rust bucket he was forced to call leader… Self control had never been his forte, but he managed to contain himself. It wasn't the moment to completely discard prudence. His life depended on it.

Soundwave punched a button on the computer's console and the huge device that hung over the repair berth activated. A slim metallic plate descended until almost grazing Starscream's body and started to travel over it slowly, bathing his nudity with a soft green light. The screen of the computer illuminated and started to display data.

_Height: 6´ 2", Weight: __182 lbs, Estimated human age: 27 years…_

"See, Screamer?" Frenzy said happily. "The computer is using human equivalences to display your statistics. We wanted you to feel at home."

Starscream didn't respond. What could he have said to defend himself? He was worse than a subject for experiments, he was a toy…

"Aw, come on Screamer, don't pull that face," Rumble said. "You are in pretty good shape… for a human. And now that I look at it, ya are not that ugly you know?"

"Your little Screamer is quite decent too…" Frenzy added, pointing at the human's crotch.

"Would you two shut up? The last thing I need is your idiotic opinions about my appearance!"

Megatron's huge shadow towered the chained human. One of the most evil smirks the Decepticon leader had ever displayed adorned his face.

"I've been thinking, Starscream… Perhaps this is the moment to give up my position and make you the Supreme Commander of all Decepticons. What do you say, my loyal warriors? Would you follow this putrid protoplasmic parasite as your leader?"

"By all means, boss!" Rumble laughed. "He would pee on the Autobots and make them flee like petro rabbits."

"Hey! We could all expose our intimate circuitry to follow his nudist policy, ya know?" Frenzy seconded.

"_You will do no such thing,"_ Soundwave warned Frenzy tacitly, simultaneously responding vocally to Megatron's suggestion, "Probability of his failure: 100 percent; probability of his termination: 90 percent."

Megatron laughed at his lieutenant's statement, delight giving his red optics a sinister glow. "All the more reason to give you the leadership, then," he said acidly to Starscream, "with odds that good, I think we'd all get what we wanted in the end."

"Oh yes, the magnanimous Megatron thinking only of his soldiers," Starscream hissed sarcastically, straining against his restraints, "trust you to put my needs before those of your own, you sla..."

"Megatron," Soundwave cut off the furious seeker mid insult, "Starscream's transformation: incomplete."

"Eh...?" Megatron drew his murderous glare away from his humanised Air Commander, slightly disappointed by the fact that the Seeker's harsh words, and thus his termination, had been interrupted. "What have you found, Soundwave?"

Soundwave pointed to the large monitor which now displayed numerous cross-section images of the human's internal composition. "Starscream's heart: defective," the communicator said, enlarging one of the live images to focus on the muscle that seemed to be vibrating erratically. "Conclusion: spark did not fully transform."

"Ya know, Screamer, Soundwave said somthin' about you not soundin' like a human," Rumble said, crawling over the repair berth towards Starscream and pressing his audio onto the human's chest.

"Argh, get off me you fragging runt."

"Shhh Screamer, I'm tryin' to listen here..." Rumble said, putting a hand over Starscream's mouth to silence him. "Woah... Frenz, you gotta listen to this, it's like one of those crazy human trance parties in there!" the blue mech giggled, his own structure invading the images Soundwave and Megatron were analysing.

"Rumble, desist," Soundwave stated, the slightest hint of impatience colouring his monotonic voice.

"Well, that proves it then," Starscream cried from his place on the repair berth, "I'm _not_ completely human, which means there is still a chance that I..."

"Don't get ya hopes up, Soundwave said ya didn't sound Cybertronian either," Rumble interrupted, poking the human in the arm before retreating as commanded.

"Interesting," Megatron continued as the mechanised form removed itself from the display, allowing Starscream's heart to take centre stage again. "And what about the rest of him?"

"Transformation of structure: complete."

"See, told ya not to get ya hopes up," Rumble said cheerfully.

"Yeah, you're more human than Cybertronian now, fleshy," Frenzy seconded, mimicking his brother's previous actions by poking the Seeker.

"I swear to Primus, when I get my body back you two will be dead..."

"Oh, enough of your empty threats, Starscream, they are only satisfying their curiosity," Megatron growled, his patience waning. "Perhaps if you had payed as much attention during your mission as Rumble and Frenzy are now, you wouldn't be in this situation. Soundwave, continue your examination before he forces me to crush him."

"As you command," the Communications Officer stated, turning away to switch off the scanner, before rummaging through a selection of instruments on a nearby work bench.

Megatron approached the Seeker, his face devoid of any expression. Starscream felt his body tremble slightly as the tyrant's shadow fell over his weakened form.

"Your cowardice through all of this repulses me, Starscream, even more than your disgusting flesh."

Megatron's hand drew ever closer; it seemed to the fear-filled Seeker that his master was going to touch him, but instead the hand hovered over him menacingly, before retreating slowly. Starscream wondered if his leader was scared of him, if he couldn't bring himself to touch a flesh being lest he get dirty...but that thought lasted only an astro second before the memories of that same mech crushing human after disgusting human his hands returned him to his senses.

No, Megatron was just playing a game with him.

"Now show some courage like a true Decepticon," the silver mech commanded as he retreated, making way for Soundwave to approach. Soundwave kneeled beside Starscream. He was carrying a slim tube with a needle in one of its ends. The sharpened piece of metal was extremely small by Cybertronian standards, but to the horrified eyes of the former Seeker it appeared as threatening as any weapon.

"W-what are you going to do?" he stammered, not caring for bravery.

"Blood sample," Soundwave replied coldly.

"Are you… are you going to inject me… with _that? _No, wait!!"

Soundwave ignored his complaints and slowly moved the device towards his restrained victim. Starscream clenched his fists, imagining a thousand different ways of destroying his comrade in arms.

"You are enjoying this too, aren't you…?" the young human said in a very low pitched voice. "You are so enjoying this, you slagging sadistic freak…"

"Affirmative," was the monotonic response.

Starscream didn't have time to comment on Soundwave's brutal sincerity. The needle easily penetrated the skin of his arm and began to suck out what now acted as his vital fuel.

He repressed a grimace of pain. He was aware that Soundwave kept a sound register of the cries of suffering of his victims, and he wasn't going to give the slagger the satisfaction of adding his own to such a sick collection.

However, what really froze his new vocaliser was the sight of the red liquid that was being extracted from his arm. It was so… red… He deviated his glance, disgusted. He could never get used to that body… never…

His shackles suddenly opened. Immediately, Starscream stood up, rubbing his sore arm.

Soundwave almost hit him with a small rectangular pad.

"Hit it," he ordered.

"What? What for?"

"HIT IT," Soundwave repeated, his monotonic voice showing traces of impatience.

Starscream hurried to obey. A number was displayed on the computer: _660 lbs._

"Harder," Soundwave spoke again. "Use all your strength."

Starscream frowned and applied as much strength as he could, trying to focus in a single blow all the fury accumulated since his nightmare had started.

"1100 pounds…" Rumble said, slightly impressed. "Not bad Screamer, you have the punch of a heavyweight boxer."

"But the appearance of a medium weight one," Frenzy laughed, palming hands with his twin.

"Comparisons: irrelevant," Soundwave stated. "Now kick."

Starscream did as requested, concentrating his anger again, this time in his right leg. The number in the screen changed again: _1650 lbs._

Rumble did another quick search in his memory banks. "And you have the kick of a karate champion. Not bad. You're stronger than a regular human."

"It couldn't be otherwise! I am a Decepticon warrior after all!"

Soundwave walked toward a microscope at the other extreme of the laboratory, taking the blood sample and force meter with him.

"So, does that mean you're finished with me?" Starscream spat, "it's just that I've got better things to do then being your slagging experiment."

"Initial examination: complete," Soundwave stated icily in reply, "more tests may be required pending outcome of analysis."

"Oh, well that's too bad, Soundwave, because I've had enough of your sadism and in case you've forgotten, I'm still your superior officer. I'm going, and you can take your analysis to Pit for all I c..."

"In case _you've_ forgotten, Starscream," Megatron interrupted, "_I'm_ still your superior. You will wait here until Soundwave is done with you, I don't care what you want."

"Well, isn't this just great, then," Starscream complained, sitting down heavily on the repair berth, pounding its surface with his fist. "You realise I could be working towards finding a way to reverse this if you let me go," he continued ironically as his Commander turned and moved towards a chair in front of the computer terminal, "but no, you have to let your slagging puppet play his little games with me, don't you, oh glorious leader. Do I need to remind you that every moment that passes while I'm stuck in this state our army is at great risk?"

Megatron let himself fall onto the chair, ignoring his subordinate's words.

"Why, Starscream? Why do you always try so hard to prove just how idiotic you are?"

"I can assure I didn't get myself into this mess only to annoy you, Megatron! And it's quite selfish for you to consider this a personal offense. I am the one trapped inside this body, slag it!!"

"Let me see if I understand," Megatron continued. "You surpass your greatest example of stupidity seen so far, sabotage my immediate plans, turn my army into a joke, and I am supposed to have considerations for you? My base is not a shelter for meat bags! And believe me when I tell you that I have reached the limit of my patience with you!"

Starscream's heart began to thrum maniacally inside his chest. Megatron was getting angry… and Megatron's fury in that moment was deadly dangerous.

"Megatron, please… Can we discuss this… calmly?"

"Calmly? I see that being a pathetic flesh creature hasn't decreased your cynicism. I have been more than tolerant of you after all these vorns you have spent trying to dispose of me! The time has come to correct such mistake."

Megatron stood up, looking more frightening than ever. Starscream retreated until he reached the edge of the repair berth.

"NO!! What are you going to do?! M-my leader, please…!!""

"Attention, Megatron."

Megatron looked over his shoulder. Behind him, Soundwave was looking through the microscope at Starscream's blood sample.

"It better be important, Soundwave," the Decepticon leader growled. "Report."

"Analysis concluded. Cybertronium found."

Megatron frowned. "Cybertronium? In the blood of a human? Impossible."

"I am not a simple human! Even though I'm trapped in this body, I'm still a Cybertronian!"

Megatron ignored Starscream and walked toward Soundwave.

"Let me see that sample!" the former Seeker demanded. "It's my blood!"

Both Decepticons completely ignored his screams and focused their attention on the sample under the microscope. Starscream clenched his fists as he contemplated the ultimate outrage. It didn't matter how much his comrades mocked him, it didn't matter if they played with him, treated him like a pet... Humiliation wasn't going to destroy him; his pride had proven its ability to take devastating hits. But being excluded from his own analysis, from perhaps his only method of salvation... he had been turned into a human, but suddenly he was feeling invisible.

After eternal astro seconds of silence, Megatron turned around and faced the human that remained on his knees on the workbench, his head bowed in defeat.

"Well, Starscream," the Decepticon leader said, "it seems I will spare your life one solar cycle more, perhaps two. If you manage to survive until Soundwave finishes his report on your examination, I will summon you again. Although, the continuation of your life is something I can't guarantee. Rumble! Get him out of here!"

This time Starscream didn't struggle when Rumble grabbed him by the chest and unceremoniously dragged him away. He knew defeat, he knew what it was to lose a battle, but he also knew that it was never a complete failure because he was able to stand up again; he was Starscream the mighty, the tyrant of the firmament, the future Supreme Commander of the Decepticons, the one that would vanquish the Autobots once and for all.

But as he was being dragged out of the laboratory, Starscream began to doubt himself. There was nothing ahead but an infinite black abyss. His hopes were starting to fade with bare brutality, suffocated by the superior weight of his reality.

For the first time he wondered if he was still himself. Could he still be called Starscream?

_To be continued._

_

* * *

  
_

_Additional note __from iratepirate: Ok, for those of you like me, who have no idea what a pound or an inch or a foot is, here is an approximate conversion for you: 182lbs = 82.5kg, 6'2" = 183cm, 1100lbs = 498.95kg, 1650lbs = 748.40kg. Sounds good, huh? ;o) _

_And another additional note from Taipan Kiryu: We based Starscream's body on Daniel Craig's when he filmed Casino Royale, although we made Screamer a little bit taller. As for the face, picture the hottest brown haired-green eyed tanned guy you can think about, and that's him!_

_We are sure you all have your own private versions of a humanised Starscream, but let's face it... the slagger is gorgeous!_

_Update coming soon. Let us know if you liked this chapter._


	7. We’re for dogs

_We want to deeply thank Fire Redhead for the amazing drawing she did for this story. Look for it in deviantart as "Fleshling for Taipan" and join us drooling. She caught Starscream's anger and humiliation perfectly.  
_

_Many many many hugs to you, Lady Succubot!_

**Chapter 6  
**

**We're for dogs**

Starscream folded his arms across his chest. His face was red from pure fury; it seemed that his organic eyes would begin to shoot laser beams at any moment.

Skywarp was making immense efforts to remain serious as he recorded every astro second of the scene before him. The twisted grimace on Starscream's face and the vein that could be noticed on his forehead were priceless footage for future teasing purposes.

"You did this on purpose…" Starscream said in low pitched but rancorous voice.

"Eh? What do you mean?" Skywarp asked with all the innocence he could portray.

Starscream didn't reply, but pointed toward the piece of clothing that was hanging from the index finger of his kneeling wingmate.

"Do I really have to explain it to you, you idiot? Haven't you spent enough time on this muddy planet to know that _that _is a dress?!"

Skywarp looked with fake ingeniousness at the small piece of white textile decorated with drawings of tiny red and pink flowers.

"Dress?"

"Don't play the fool with me, Skywarp! That is something female humans wear, and don't you dare tell me you didn't know!"

From his place, conveniently away from the scene, Thundercracker shook his head slightly. He couldn't help but blame himself, nevertheless. He should have known that Skywarp was not reliable enough to actually obtain proper clothes for Starscream. The black Seeker wouldn't waste any opportunity to mock his disgraced Air Commander and extend his humiliation as far as possible.

"Well… it has your colours! Except for the pink, that is… but at least I tried to get you something that fitted your personality!"

"And how in the Inferno does a _dress_ fit with my personality, you dang-blasted hothead?! I am NOT a femme!"

"You certainly look like one when you scream like that. This is because I didn't get something with blue on it too, right...?"

Infinitely frustrated, Starscream snatched the dress from Skywarp's hand and placed it around his waist, passing it between his legs and covering the genital organs that ashamed him so much.

"See? You're gonna use it anyway," the black Seeker continued. "Would you be interested in a couple of high heel shoes?"

"Oh just zip it! You are fortunate that I'm so desperate that I'd use anything right now…" Starscream hissed as he adjusted his improvised loincloth. "But I will remember this, Skywarp… I swear I will remember it…"

"A simple thank you would have been enough… You don't deserve the little extra I brought for you."

"What extra?"

A sack half the size of Starscream fell before him, breaking in two. From its insides, countless little fragments resembling rocks came spilling out.

"What is this?" Starscream asked.

"Human fuel," Skywarp explained. "So you won't have to starve."

Starscream lifted one half of the broken sack and read the colorful human characters.

"Dog food?" he angrily repeated what his eyes were seeing.

"It will give you the energy and nutrients you need. It's made especially for small species, and you won't deny that you're very small right now…"

"_Dog_ food...?!"

"It will give you a shiny coat too," Skywarp continued with a grin, "and since you value your looks so much, I thought you'd like something that would pretty up that mess of fuzz on the top of your head."

Instinctively, Skywarp lifted his arms to cover himself from the multitude of croquettes that started to fly toward him, each one ricocheting off his structure with a quiet _ping_.

Poorly tied, Starscream's loincloth fell to the floor. But the ex Seeker didn't even notice; he was too busy clenching his fists, all the muscles of his body tensing in response. "YOU STUPID SLAGGED-UP SON OF A GLITCH! DO I LOOK LIKE A DOG TO YOU?!"

"Well, you're small and squishy...and ugly...I can't see much of a difference, really."

Thundercracker brusquely grabbed Skywarp by an arm and dragged him toward a corner of Starscream's personal quarters whilst the young human male awkwardly covered his nudity again, blinded by fury and never stopping in shouting insults.

"Did you really have to do this, Warp? Couldn't you resist ridiculing him at least for a slagging moment?!"

"Oh, come on TC… I couldn't resist… Oh it's too funny… I just can't… ah slag!" Skywarp retorted, his words interrupted by his guffaws.

"You've had enough fun. I hope you at least brought something that he can actually use."

"Uh, no… that was all."

"Slaggit, Warp! Don't you think the Autobots will begin to suspect something's going on if we start stealing accessories for humans?"

"Would you cool down? It's true that my target was one of those storage units the humans use to get their stuff, but the Autodorks won't even smell the real objective of my mission. I was really discreet."

"How discreet?"

"I trashed the entire place. The Autobots will think that Ramjet crashed against a random building again; he does that all the time."

"As always, you think about everything…" Thundercracker ironically said.

"Glad to be of service, bro."

"Yeah, I bet you are..."

"What are you two wimps babbling about?" Starscream shouted once he finished his tantrum.

"Nothing important, Screamer," Thundercracker responded, "I was just reminding our wingmate here that he shouldn't be pissing you off in your current condition."

"In my current condition?!" Starscream cried, "I am his Air Commander, he shouldn't be pissing me off under _any_ circumstance, be I Cybertronian or otherwise. But I guess a couple of insubordinate glitches like you two wouldn't understand that concept, otherwise you would have left me alone like I'd ordered you to do in the first place!"

"Ahh, c'mon Screamer, we're only looking out for your well being," Skywarp said, scraping together a pile of dog biscuits. "You sure you don't want to try some of this, I mean, I went to a lot of effort..."

"Go drown in a slag pit."

"You know, he may have been joking, but Warp has a point," Thundercracker said as he approached his humanised superior officer again. "How hungry are you, Starscream?"

"I am not!"

"Oh, come on, stop playing the tough one, squishy," Skywarp spat. "You haven't refueled since you were turned into that flesh thing you are now, and if humans need as much energy as we do, then you must be starving."

"I have no idea of what kind of fuel the humans consume and I don't care to find out about it! My only priority is recovering my real body."

"Well, you won't be able to do that if you don't even have the minimal energy needed to walk, you know Screamer?"

"Can't you silence the melted pit hole you have as vocaliser, Skywarp?! You've screwed me enough already."

Thundercracker kneeled before the dog croquettes scattered across the floor and scanned them. "You know, Starscream…? This may be dog fuel but I don't think it would harm your internal organs. Perhaps you could try it."

"You will see me dead before consuming pet's fuel," Starscream spat, for a moment resembling all too much his former self.

-------------------------

Carly closed her eyes and allowed the sunlight to caress her face again. It seemed like a dream that just some hours ago, that same face had received the light of a foreign sun on a planet so far away from Earth as her imagination itself.

A fairytale or a science-fiction story… But it had been real, as real as all the encounters with the incredible that she had had since the Autobots had entered her life.

And her life had definitely taken a 180 degree turn. She remembered herself, less than two years before, dressed in black before two coffins, being forced to decide what to do with her suddenly orphaned life and an overwhelming inheritance. And one of those days, when she was wasn't expecting anything from another regular day, she met an alien robot in a videogame arcade. That had marked the ending of the superficial rich girl and the beginning of days in which everything extraordinary could happen.

A shadow towered her, darkening the sandy ground around her.

"Thank you for ruining my tan, Ironhide."

"Huh… tan?"

The confused expression on the tough Autobot weapon specialist was priceless.

"Never mind… you are a lost cause," she continued. "How long have we been friends?"

"Almost a meta-cycle."

"Which means about a human year. You should already know that I appreciate the effects of moderate exposition to sun light. My skin is too pale, see?"

Ironhide smiled. "I would like to understand what you're talking about, Carly, but I don't. But, you say you like the sun, so I suppose you wanted to try a different kind. Is that the reason why you were so enthusiastic about going to the planet of the Tlakakans?"

"Yeah, and also because I love to travel through space," she said, grinning. "You must be pretty used to it, but for me is like a dream come true."

"Nah, I don't do it that much, actually… If you ask me, I'd prefer to be on ground kicking Decepticreeps rather than spending endless breems locked in a space shuttle."

In the distance, at the entrance of The Ark, Spike waved a hand toward them whilst he talked with Optimus Prime and Bumblebee.

"Guys are all the same… Spike is just like you, Ironhide, a man of action."

"Well, you did quite a good job yourself on the planet of the Tlakakans."

"I just took those native children to a safe place, no big deal… What do you think those Decepticons were doing there anyway?"

Ironhide's facial features hardened. "We still don't know. We believe they wanted to recover the control of the planet. The Well of Transformation could be an incredible weapon if used with evil purposes."

"Could have been, you mean. I can't understand why they destroyed it. Such a unique miracle of nature now gone…"

"The Decepticons have no respect for nature, Carly; they have no respect for anything. If they can't control something, they rather destroy it. That's their way."

"Fortunately you guys stopped them from destroying the rest of the planet."

"Yeah, but we can't be everywhere at once. When Starscream attacked you and Spike I was afraid it would be your ending…"

"But Wheeljack stopped him by shooting those… what was their name again?"

"Gyro-inhibitor shells?"

"Yes, those ones."

"You and Spike said that Starscream fell into the Well of Transformation after Wheeljack's attack, right?"

"Ah-huh, but just as Spike wrote it in his report to Prowl, Starscream came out almost immediately."

Ironhide narrowed his optics and rubbed his chin. "Mmmhh… are you sure that the one who flew out of the Well was him?"

"There was a lot of smoke and confusion because of the shooting, but yes, it was him."

"Thundercracker and Skywarp have practically his same design."

"I didn't see them nearby at that particular moment, so it had to be Starscream. He had his hands over his chest when he got out; maybe he was hurt."

"Yeah… you're probably right. Starscream is the most presumptuous self-centered slagger I have ever met. He would've never allowed the Well of Transformation to mess with his appearance."

"Well, he has a point."

"What do you mean?"

"Mmmhh… he's kind of… cute, you know?"

Ironhide stared at Carly, totally taken by surprise by the girl's words. _"Cute?"_

"I'm joking, Ironhide!" she laughed.

The old-timer Autobot scratched his head. "I have lived more milleniums than you could count, Carly, but I assure you I still have a lot to live before I can even begin to understand females."

"Why do you say that?"

"Cybertronian femmes also think that maniacal Decepticon's attractive. He treated them like slag, but he always had armies of them behind his arrogant afterburners."

"Never underestimate the charm of a bad guy, my friend. But don't be jealous. I still think you are more handsome."

Ironhide smiled. It was a fortune for him that he wasn't physically able to blush.

"I've only had one other female say that to me…" he said after a moment of embarrassed silence.

"Chromia, right?" Carly said with a smirk, "Well, she was right…but don't let it go to your head, I know what males are like."

"I seem to remember Chromia saying something like that, too," Ironhide chuckled, rubbing the back of his head; Carly couldn't help but notice the hint of sadness that crept into his optics.

"You miss her a lot, don't you?"

"'Course I do…wouldn't you miss Spike if you had an entire universe separating you?"

"Yeah, I guess I would…" she said. "Sorry…"

She cast her gaze over to Spike again.

She had never really known why she had said yes to him the night he first asked her out; maybe it had been his awkwardness or his sheepish grin as he'd said the word 'date'... Unlike her boyfriends of the past, Carly had never been able to put her finger on what it was that attracted her to him, she couldn't explain why she had fallen for someone so totally opposite to the imaginary man she held in her mind like some measure of her romantic success...

They had been from different worlds, beyond the obvious age gap; she had lived the high life, had money to burn, could do what she wanted when she wanted... While she had been off studying chemistry and engineering at MIT, he had been working some blue collar job with his dad, no vision of finishing high school, no vision of becoming anything more than a mechanic; just happy to settle with mediocrity.

Carly felt herself pout slightly; mediocrity...exactly what she didn't want in her life.

But the same thing that had changed her life had changed Spike's as well; the same twist of fate that had seen her first encounter with the giant alien robot now towering above her had also entered into his life's equation too, and whilst his aspirations still bordered on the mundane, he now had a sense of adventure about him that no other would understand.

Maybe that was the explanation. Maybe it was that extraterrestrial sense of adventure he carried with him; the excitement, the unimaginable...that was what it had to be...

Did that mean that the attraction wasn't for him, then, but the friendships he brought? Was it his relationship with the Autobots that had allowed the word 'yes' to escape her lips when he had invited her out to dinner that first time?

Maybe…

But maybe that was the way it was supposed to be; maybe that was why their relationship was so different from all the others... The two of them shared something extraordinary, and from that love had blossomed; what did it matter how the first seeds had been planted?

* * *

_To be continued._

_Good guess for those of you who predicted that Skywarp would give Starscream a dress. But hey, used as a loincloth, it doesn't look bad at all, honestly. A Tarzan look fits great with his gorgeous physical condition ;o)_

_Late di__sclaimer: just as we don't own Transformers, we also don't own Pedigree... but thank them for the use of their product during this chapter._


	8. Shopping, Decepticon style

**Chapter**** 7  
**

**Shopping, Decepticon style**

For more than twenty five years, the small store of mister Suzuoki had been the emblem of Millete Street. From being only a meeting point in a peaceful suburb in which nothing interesting ever happened, the business had grown up and had managed to become something that could be called a small supermarket, modernity destroying step by step its magic enchantment, but still preserving that domestic touch that made it the first choice of many neighbours that preferred it over the big franchises. Mister Suzuoki, who already carried over his head many locks of white hair, kept smiling at every client that entered his door.

But certainly that night mister Suzuoki wouldn't have smiled, if he could have seen the two invaders that, making their biggest efforts concerning stealth, were emptying the store's counters, knocking down and destroying much more than what they were stealing.

Even more, mister Suzuoki's astonishment would have reached its limits if he could have seen the mysterious burglars. There were no stockings covering their faces, no masks or black clothes… In fact, those stereotyped absences wouldn't have meant anything, because both thieves were made of metal.

"Lettuce?" Frenzy asked Rumble as he juggled with three of the mentioned vegetables.

"Nah, too fragile… and besides, they look dirty."

"What about avocado? The information in my data banks says that it's good for human skin. Screamer can use it for a facial mask."

"OK, avocado is fine."

Frenzy held as many avocados as his hands could grab and dropped them inside a shopping cart Rumble was pushing.

"Enough with the organic trash. Time for the good stuff," Rumble said, happily heading toward a pile of cans.

"Right, nothin' like good ol' metal!"

Rumble reached the mountain of cans and took one out from the middle of the pile, making the upper ones collapse.

" _Jalapeños_," he read. "What the slag is this?"

"Dunno, but it looks good to me. I bet Screamer will love it."

"He better do. How did we end up bein' his errand boys, anyway?" Rumble growled as he added numerous cans of the infamous chilli to the cart.

"He said that would be the only way he wouldn't kill us once he returns to his original self."

"Ah, true… OOOOOK! It's getting late. Let's check."

Frenzy cleared his vocalizer before reading out the list recorded in his memory banks.

"Clothes? Says here we must make sure they're proper for a male."

"Male? Mmmmhh… I guess that leaves this sexy lingerie out of the question, right?" Rumble said, grabbing from the bottom of the cart a red garter belt thong. "Ah well, let's drop this and we'll get him somethin' masculine on our way out. Next?"

"Toilet paper?"

"Check."

"Water?"

"We got whiskey. Same thing."

"OK… Toothbrush?"

"Check."

"Human fuel, consisting on the following groups: vegetables…"

"Never mind! We have enough food already, and it's top quality stuff."

"Check, then… Let me see what's next… Deodorant?"

"Check! I'm bringing Screamer the deodorant that attracts ALL the ladies. TV doesn't lie, ya know?" Rumble stated with the wisdom of an expert.

"He could use some interfacing, now that you mention it. He's grumpier than usual… Soap?"

"The most colorful I could find. _The grateful dog, _it says on the cover. It's antiseptic and will kill all his fleas."

Frenzy scratched his head. "I thought Soundwave gave him a flea bath."

"He did, but some of the bugs may have survived."

"Fine, let's get on with it…"

"This is boring. Look Frenz, why don't we just leave? We have everything on the list, I guess..."

Frenzy nodded and both Cassetticons pushed their cart toward the big hole they had opened right beside the back door.

They had almost arrived when a small, blue cardboard box caught Rumble's attention. He took it and scanned it.

"Add this," he said when he ended his analysis, throwing the box into the cart.

"Tampons?" Frenzy said, reading the box.

"Yeah, you never know when he'll have his period."

"You're right, better to be ready."

--------------

"One single thing… _One single thing_ that I told you was more important than anything else and you forgot it!!"

"Hey, calm down Screamer! We brought you everything else," Rumble said.

"That's not even half the list I gave you, and the rest is totally useless to me!" Starscream continued shouting.

"Well… anybody can have a moment of forgetfulness… or many, same thing," Frenzy said, shrugging his shoulders.

"I told you clothes were a priority, didn't I? Do you think I feel comfortable using only this piece of filthy textile to barely cover myself?!"

"Well, you can always take it off."

"I don't exactly enjoy exposing myself all the time!"

"Why not?" Frenzy insisted. "Humans are born naked, they are used to it. All those fleshlings from the porn movies never keep their clothes on for more than two nano kliks."

"For your information, you stupid runt, I'm NOT a fragging pornographic film performer!"

"Well, you could be," Rumble said. "We recorded you this morning when you were washing yourself and uploaded the footage to xtube."

Starscream didn't have any idea of what the twins were talking about, but one word caught his attention.

"Recorded?" he repeated.

"Yeah," Frenzy said. "And you've had quite a lot of views already… Let me check… You have 3,824 invitations to get laid, by humans of both genders, actually… Some seem to like your aft, others that you have no hair on your body, but they all mention the shape of your private parts ya know?"

"Are you saying you recorded me in a moment of extreme privacy and exposed me on the human network for everybody on this muddy planet to see?!!"

"Heeeeh, chill out… You should be thankful. You really need a chick or you will end up blowin' your gaskets… or perhaps you'd prefer a dude?" Rumble asked, grinning.

"I don't need anything! You are going to erase all evidence of my existence from the human network right now!! I still have ways to make you both wish you never were created!!"

"That's how you pay us for trying to do you a favour?? Ya really have problems with grattitude, don't ya?"

"I have problems understanding why Soundwave created a couple of junk piles like you and forgot to give them cerebro-shells!!"

Frenzy elbowed his twin. "Soundwave did give us cerebro-shells, didn't he?"

"Guess so…"

Starscream grabbed his face and shook his head. "Please, please… just get the frag out of here. I've had enough of you two… I'd prefer to be dead than deal with you again."

"Hey, relax… We got you what you wanted, didn't we? Sort of…"

"But of course, Rumble! You only forgot a human gun so I could blow my fragging head off!"

"Hey, you don't have to yell at us like that!"

"My bro is right, Screamer!" Frenzy said. "We'll leave, alright… but before we do, can you tell us something?"

"What?"

"Have you… ya know… already had your first boner?"

"My first what?"

"You know… has your wiener down there gotten up…"

Frenzy wasn't quick enough to avoid the bottle of whiskey that flew toward him and smashed against his face.

------------------

Finally alone, Starscream prepared himself to fulfil another one of the humiliating tasks commanded by his new body.

Neatly ordered on his desk, the group of terrestrial objects brought by Rumble and Frenzy surrounded him in a strange circle. Colourful, shiny, suspiciously diverse… none of them were familiar to him; normally he wouldn't even have had any scientific curiosity for them. His knowledge about the human race had been centred specifically on its military history and social organization. Everything else, all those small trivialities that conformed the life of the disgusting organic beings, were a mystery to him.

If he had had his null rays, Starscream would have vaporized everything before his eyes, but he wasn't able to deny an astro second more the sharp pain in his stomach that announced the fact that he was starving.

He scanned each item suspiciously, thoroughly disgusted by the idea that one of them would soon be trespassing his systems, entering the body he so deeply despised. None of them looked remotely appetising, nor did they look particularly safe; but unfortunately, Soundwave's little runts hadn't left him with many options.

Bypassing the pile of pitted, green-skinned ellipsoids, and the orange stick-things, Starscream's eyes focussed on the one pile that shared some resemblance to being Cybertonian; albeit the analogy was more a facade to fool himself into feeling a little better about his predicament than anything else.

Metal.

Eleven metal cylinders, cans in fact, stood out amongst the collection of otherwise openly organic foodstuffs, each adorned with a bright and colourful label and a picture of something the humans called "Jalapeños". Starscream sighed; if he had to give into weakness, it was better to try something a little less organic, a little less dirty...

He picked up one of the cans and shook it, listening to the contents swish around inside their confines. Anger suddenly washed over him; realising once again the inadequacies of his new body. There didn't appear to be any obvious way of extracting his meal...

Had he been himself, the can would have been crushed in an instant. But in his current form, Starscream found there was little his weak fingers could do against the superior strength of the silver metal.

He shook the can again, vigorously, only to have it slip from his fingers and land on his toe.

"SLAG!!"

Taking hold of his now purple appendage, Starscream threw the accursed can across his quarters with his free hand. Adding insult to injury, the can struck a pile of instruments, sending them clattering to the floor.

"Of all the slag sucking, Pit-spawned...!!"

Despite his pain, and anger, it didn't escape the human's attention that the can itself had suffered some damage on impact, the odd pattern of its movements as it attempted to roll away giving away the large dent now marring its structure.

A satisfied smirk replaced the grimace of pain; perhaps the mighty Starscream could win the battle after all.

Cautiously, he picked up another can and hobbled over to the edge of his workbench. Mustering all the strength he could with such a weak body, he lifted it above his head, and then brought it down hard on the sharp edge of the bench. Success...the can buckled with the impact.

He repeated the action over and over, raising a sweat over his muscular body until finally the metal gave way. Starscream smiled triumphantly as an oily substance began to seep from the wound, trailing down his fingers before dripping thickly to the floor.

With the vigour of a victorious hunter, the human began to thump the base of the can with his fleshy fist until the densely packed contents slopped unceremoniously out onto the table.

Great. Now he had a mess to clean up as well as a sore toe.

But Starscream's obsession for cleanliness was easily put to rest as his stomach sent forth a timely reminder of his hunger in the form of a painful cramp; the Seeker knew the time for further lowering his standards was nigh...

Starscream picked up one of the green fruits and studied it, instantly feeling repulsed by the botanic insult that was soon to become his first meal as a human. Fat and finger-like, he lifted it to his nose and sniffed it; surprisingly, the scent wasn't as bad as he had expected it to be.

He held it out and stared at it...there was no more denying it, the moment had arrived.

Starscream grimaced, his eyes closing tightly as his tongue ventured forth, seeking sustenance. The tip grazed the fruit's oily surface, a nanosecond's appraisal. The ex Cybertronian opened his eyes, taken aback by his tastebud's revelation...that hadn't been so bad...

It had almost been sweet..._almost_ pleasant...

Suddenly feeling bolder, Starscream placed the entire chilli in his mouth, his teeth splitting the green flesh easily, bringing a delightful crunching sound to his humanised audios.

However, the next sensation was not so pleasant.

"AAarrghhh!!" the human screamed as he spat out the offending mouthful, his fingers scraping his tongue desperately in an attempt to wipe away any trace of the horrid vegetable. "Slag, slag, slag, Primus fragging SLAG!"

He was on fire, of that he was certain. Sweat began to pool on his flesh, tears streaming forth from his livid eyes as his tongue continued to burn with invisible flames.

Liquid...he needed liquid to ease the increasing pain. With blurred vision, Starscream fumbled though the remaining items before him, searching for the remaining bottle of brown liquid known as "whisky". Trembling fingers worked awkwardly at the cap once the desired object was located, a colourful mix of Cybertronian expletives rushing over his tortured tongue.

When finally the cap came away, there was no hesitation in Starscream's next action. With no consideration given to what the bottle's contents may taste like, the ex Seeker gulped down several mouthfuls, allowing the mellow liquid to bathe his tongue with a heated caress.

Much to Starscream's distress, the burn continued.

--------------

The door of Starscream's quarters opened slightly. No Transformer would have fit through such a small opening, but a human would have without any trouble.

Starscream carefully pointed his adapted data pad toward outside before daring to show his head. He didn't detect any energy signature.

Because of the hour, most of the Decepticons should have been in recharge mode, and the ones on duty were forbidden to approach the Officials area. That provided him with a relative security to go out, _relative _being the key word… A human being could never be safe in the Nemesis base, even less one that really was the most hated Decepticon by his own comrades in arms.

But his safety wasn't a priority preoccupation for said human being. Overwhelmed first by a body that disgusted him, the confinement he had been forced to endure because of his human condition had reached its highest level of tolerance. Starscream simply couldn't support being locked in one astro klik more.

He walked without purpose, his only desire to escape confines of what so quickly had become his prison. The dull thud of his footfalls echoed strangely in the vast purple corridors, the sound so foreign in the realms of the metal gods.

Metal god... Starscream felt his shoulders slump at the thought of what he had been.

There was simply no comparison now, his weak, pathetic body not even a shadow of his former greatness. He was simply an insect; a germ...not even worthy of being stepped on.

But what made it worse was his failure; even the simplest tasks related to human life seemed to be beyond his abilities, he had proven that with his disastrous attempt to feed himself.

At least his toe didn't hurt anymore... Then again, he couldn't feel much anymore; for some reason numbness had settled over his body...

Not that he cared.

Shadows played over his sculpted form as he continued to pass through the cold base, dark hands caressing his already dark mood.

Distracted by his thoughts, he didn't realize he had reached a more remote level than intended until he felt the reddish glow on his shoulder.

He hurriedly turned around, only to find three aggressive stares.

Any Decepticon would have been dangerous for him in that moment, but any of his comrades would have been better than the three voracious mechanoids that stared at him with something more than simple hate.

_Ap__petite…_

The Insecticons were hungry.

And it didn't take a lot of imagination to know who was going to be the meal.

_To be continued._

_

* * *

  
_

_If you guys can tell us who Suzuoki and Millete are, you have gained a ration of energon goodies! If not, check your TF wiki if you feel curious._

_And as for a certain video on xtube… we are sorry to inform you that it has been removed. But what is xtube compared to the vivid imagination of a fangirl, huh? We hope you enjoyed the imagery ;o)_


	9. Run, Starscream, Run

**Chapter 8  
**

**Run, Starscream, Run**

Starscream hadn't realized how threatening his comrades in arms could look before the eyes of a human until he had the sadistic glances of the Insecticons focused on him.

Sadistic… and hungry. As the rest of the Decepticons, Starscream knew that the Insecticons had practiced repulsive refuelling methods to counterattack the lack of energon during the many centuries they had spent on planet Earth. Devouring human beings was certainly no novelty for them.

"Food approaches, approaches," Shrapnel rasped, eyeing his prey greedily.

"Good, I'm hungry," Bombshell responded eagerly.

"Don't you even think about it, you rust encrusted cockroaches," Starscream spat angrily, backing away slowly despite his harsh words.

"Don't bother fighting us, flesh creature," Kickback said as the trio began to advance.

"You will perish, perish."

The humanised Starscream opened his mouth to retaliate, but found that the three imposing figures bearing down on him snatched his voice before any words could form. He continued to move backwards, until his bare back touched the cold metal of the wall behind him.

"G-get away from me, you sick freaks," the human managed to stammer as he edged along the wall slowly, "I am _not_ your next meal, do you understand me?"

"There is no use in insulting us, insulting us," Shrapnel replied, "empty threats won't get in the way of our next meal."

"You smell so delicious," Kickback hissed.

It was then that Starscream realised he had no other choice but to run, his flight instincts kicking in as Bombshell pounced forward. The human managed to dodge the attack, narrowly, and ran down the corridor, his flesh body building up speed as adrenaline kicked in.

"Destroy him, him!" Shrapnel commanded. Transforming into his insect mode he gave chase, his large antennae catching in the floral fabric tied around Starscream's intimacy.

"No! Slaggit!!" The human cried furiously as he felt the cool air gracing his nether regions once again; despite his fear he couldn't help but feel the heat of humiliation returning once again.

He hated his life.

But, despite that hate, he wasn't ready for it to end; and certainly not at the hands, or mouths, of those three beasts.

Reaching the end of the corridor, Starscream veered to the right, totally unaware of where he was heading. He needed to think, needed a plan; he couldn't fight them... It didn't matter, in the end, where he finished up, just as long as he remained functional.

And then he saw it.

The ventilation shaft near the base of a wall... If he could reach it salvation would be his; there was no way the Insecticons could follow him, it was barely big enough for a human to climb through.

Pushing his flesh and bone body to the limits, Starscream dived at the shaft, his hands grasping desperately at the metal grill blocking his entrance. He pulled on the bars frantically, shaking them will all of the strength he could muster, but they refused to give way.

"Now I've got you," Kickback called from behind.

Hands still clutching the grill, Starscream turned his head to find the metallic grasshopper waiting for him. A furious kick from the Insecticon's back legs caught the Seeker in the head, sending him sinking to the ground in a wash of pain and confusion, a cry of fear escaping his throat.

"Get away from him, you filthy junk piles!" Skywarp shouted as he suddenly appeared between the predators and their prey. "If you want him, then you have to get through me first!"

The sound of laser fire met Starscream's ears mercilessly, the sound bringing him out of his momentary stupor. He became aware of the warm liquid snaking slowly down his face and instantly understood what had happened.

He clutched his head.

"Screamer," Skywarp called between shots. "Run for it; I'll keep these cockroaches distracted."

Despite the increasing pain in his head, the human complied, unable to think of any other way to react. He stood up unsteadily, and began to pull on the grill once again until finally, it gave way.

Without a thought for the darkness or small dimensions of the shaft, the ex Seeker pulled himself up into the small opening.

Blood streaming freely over his naked body, Starscream began to crawl through the ventilation shaft, feeling every second weaker. Claustrophobia began to take hold as dizziness swept over him; by the time he reached the liberating grill at the end of the long tunnel all he could do was lean on it with his body until it gave way, the human tumbling unceremoniously out with it.

He lay still, the grill caught uncomfortably beneath his shivering, sweat-covered body. But he didn't care about the discomfort of the invading metal pressing angrily into his flesh, it couldn't have been less important.

It was the pool of crimson growing before his reddened eyes, staining the purple metal with his defeat, that caught his attention.

"Screamer...?" The human heard Skywarp ask as the seeker teleported beside him. A rough finger prodded his back. "You dead?"

"Does it look like I'm fragging dead, you moron?" Starscream retaliated angrily, struggling to get up. As he managed to regain his balance his left hand automatically moved to cover his crotch, his right hand making its way to the gash on his head. Gingerly, it touched the broken flesh.

"Well," Skywarp said, "you sure look like slag, so you could be dead. Frenzy told me once that humans can continue to function after deactivation, I think he called them 'zombies' or something... whatever... so yeah, like I said..."

"I'm _not_ a slagging zombie you stupid glitch!"

"Woah, nothing to get angry about, I'm sure you can have a very happy and fulfilling life as a zo..."

"SHUT UP BEFORE I'M FORCED TO RIP OUT YOUR SPARK WITH MY BARE HANDS!!"

"Gee, thanks for saving my life, Skywarp," the purple seeker cooed sarcastically to himself. "You're welcome, Starscream, it was my pleasure...pffftt..."

"Are you done, idiot?"

"Huh...what's that? You want something Starscream?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. I want you to teleport me to my quarters, NOW."

"What's the matter, Screamer, you scared of being alone or something?"

Starscream shot his idiotic subordinate a murderous glare before responding again. "No, you moron," he hissed with a dangerously calmed voice. "In case you haven't noticed, I am bleeding. I need to repair myself, and I don't particularly want to be seen by my loyal subordinates in this state."

Kneeling, Skywarp picked up his wingmate, regarding the flesh creature with a mixture of disgust and intrigue. His hand now firmly pressed against his brow, blood had begun to seep from beneath Starscream's palm, dripping in rivulets down his arm, further staining his fragile skin.

"Mmmh, you know, Screamer," he said after a moment's silence, "you really don't look too good. That leak you've got is kinda nasty...maybe you should let Hook take a look at it?"

The ex Seeker felt his blood freeze. "No fragging way!" he responded.

"Screamer, I'm serious, you could have some major damage there...you look like something I'd scrape off the bottom of my foot after a raid on a human settlement."

"I will_ not_ allow myself to be subjected to the 'mercy' of that sadistic freak. And anyway, I'm fine; it's nothing I can't fix myself."

"Ahh, sorry Screamer, but I don't think so," Skywarp said as he stood, Starscream still in his hand. "Not to mention the fact that if I don't take you now, TC will kick my aft and take you himself."

"I said I'm fine, slaggit," Starscream yelled. "Now take me back to my quarters. That's an order."

"Nope" Skywarp replied as his body began to disappear. "By the way, I see you managed to get naked again... You must really like it, huh?"

--------------

The grimace on Hook's face reflected just how much he despised the image before his optic visor. It was no secret that the snobby Constructicon hated wasting his time repairing his comrades in arms, but it was obvious that being asked to deal with a flesh and bone patient was more than outrageous. It was an offense.

"So?" Skywarp asked. "Can you repair him?"

"No," the Constructicon dryly replied.

"Oh, come on!"

"I said no, now get him out of here. He's staining my workbench with his disgusting human fluid."

Starscream shot Hook a murderous glare from his place in the middle of the workbench. One of his hands remained fixed on the right side of his face, completely stained by his own blood. He didn't know what was worse, being injured or being the object of his hateful comrades' scrutiny. At least the rest of the Constructicons were not present due to some maintenance repairs they were doing on the opposite section of the base, their absence decreasing the danger of further mocking and probable deactivation.

"I told you it wasn't necessary to come here, Skywarp!" he complained. "I'm fine!"

"Yeah, fine… that's why you have a blood leak in your right optic, correct?"

"Technically, the blood is not coming from his eye, but from that small filament area above it. Eyebrow is the proper term, I think," Hook said, zooming in his optic circuits on said area.

"See?" Skywarp continued. "You know what you are talking about. So, you can repair him."

"I'm not going to stain my hands with the fluids of a flesh creature. It is degrading."

Skywarp smirked. Hook's weak point was too easy to find. He was surprised he hadn't used it before. "Well…" he absent-mindedly said as he folded his arms. "If you're not capable of doing it…"

The Constructicon's optic visor shone with evident anger.

"There is nothing beyond my reach."

"Obviously, repairing a small fleshling is…"

Hook stared with immense disdain at the naked human that continued to bleed on his workbench.

"Immobilize him" he said dryly.

Skywarp savoured victory as he directed a hand toward Starscream.

"No! Don't you dare touch me, Skywarp! Just get me out of here! It's an order!"

"Sorry, Screamer, I don't take orders from a fleshling."

With a strange delicacy considering his usual careless behaviour, Skywarp grabbed Starscream's head with his thumb and index finger, and forced him to lie down on the table.

"Aaaarrghh! Enough!! Let go of me, you pit spawned malfunction!" the Air Commander cried as he punched as hard as he could the black Seeker's fingers. Of course, without any result.

"If you don't want to lose an eye, I highly recommend you to stay still, Starscream," Hook said as he approached with a laser scalpel.

Starscream stopped moving, paralysed by fear.

"W…what are you going to do?"

"I will cauterize your wound."

"Are you… going to… _burn_ me?! No, wait!!"

"There's no other way. I am not familiar with the functioning of human organisms, but I'm sure that heat will stop the bleeding."

"But you'll kill me!"

"I doubt it. I can operate with millimetric precision. Of course, I can't guarantee it won't hurt. I have no painkillers for organics."

"You have no painkillers for anybody, you slagging freaaaaaarrrghhhhh!" Starscream cried in pain as the laser scalpel started to burn and seal his injury.

Wasting time was not one of the Constructicon surgeon's defects, just as mercy wasn't either. Hook proceeded with his improvised repair session, towering his patient with his big shadow and his very cold glance.

The procedure was eternal for Starscream, every astro klik an unbearable agony. Hook never hurried in anything and that was not going to be the exception. No matter how much he hated lowering himself by repairing a human, his status of perfectionist and artist was not going to be questioned.

Finally, it was over. The laser scalpel retreated and Skywarp released his humanised commander from his grip. Immediately, Starscream directed his hand toward his eyebrow. He could still feel the injury vibrating, but the bleeding had stopped.

"Hey, you look better, Screamer!" Skywarp cheerfully said as he slightly punched Starscream with his finger, almost breaking his back. "You can stop whining now. Come on, let's get you cleaned up."

Starscream rubbed his sore back, forgetting for a moment about the pain in his eyebrow. "Do I have to remind you every astro second that I have bones inside this flesh bag I have instead of armour, you imbecile?!!"

"If you finished exchanging words with your pet, Skywarp, you'd do well in removing him and your idiotic carapace out of here," Hook said.

"I'm nobody's pet!" Starscream yelled. "And you better remember that, Hook, or I'll make sure you will end up assembling nothing but pre-moulded drones."

From one of Hook's fingers a small but sharp saw emerged. "Are you familiar with the term castration, Starscream?"

The Air Commander covered his exposed crotch with his hands and retreated, almost falling from the workbench. Skywarp bended over himself in pure laughter, but managed to grab Starscream by an arm and teleported them both out of the Repair Bay.

------------------

Safely locked within the solitude of his personal quarters once again, Starscream fell to his knees.

He felt empty, defeated... Like the most worthless piece of scrap the universe had ever had the misfortune of creating. But more than anything else, he felt pain.

His head throbbed; he wasn't sure if it had been Kickback's attack or the repair session afterwards, but he was certain he felt worse now than he had before. Every muscle in his accursed body ached, it seemed as if his exertion had pushed them past their limits and now they screamed out in retribution, tensing and cramping without remorse.

But there was more than the mere physical hurt sent to punish him that night.

There was dizziness too, like a dense fog had descended upon him to cloud his vision and his thoughts, muffling all sounds so that only the voices in his mind could be heard clearly. He felt warm, unusually warm, yet his skin itself felt cold, as if his body couldn't decide on how it should feel.

Not that any of that mattered.

Slowly, the human lifted his hands, holding them trembling before his face. He stared at them avidly, apparently captivated by their grotesquely soiled design, turning them over so that his green eyes might capture every detail.

He was dirty...so dirty...

It took more effort than expected for Starscream to pull himself up onto his feet again, his body heavy beyond its size and composition. With slow, uneasy steps he made his way to his cleaning unit, his hand never abandoning the sanctity of balance afforded by the cold, steely walls.

Starscream sighed heavily as he reached his destination, terrified of the mirror he knew was waiting mercilessly within the unit for his arrival.

But friend and foe had never had much distinction in Starscream's life, and so with a deep breath he closed his eyes and ventured forward, knowing the lustrous surface would not return the beloved image of himself he was accustomed to...

Daring to look at his blood-stained reflection, Starscream grimaced at the sight of the angry red scar now marring his eyebrow. The flesh around it had grown swollen, acquiring a shade of purple not dissimilar to that of Skywarp's paintjob; darker tones coloured his right eyelid and the bridge of his nose. Until that moment the Seeker hadn't thought it possible that his appearance could get any worse.

But it was the red of his blood that disturbed him the most; though it had begun to dry in some places the colour remained ever vibrant, a sharp reminder of how fragile he had become, how close to death he now was...

Despite having faced millennia of war, never before had Starscream felt so mortal.

Water rained down upon his flesh once again as defeat gave way to a sudden urgency for cleanliness; like his first shower it brought little comfort but anything was better than simply standing there, staring at himself.

Helplessness returning, Starscream lowered his eyes, watching on in silence as blood and water mixed, crimson swirling gracefully about his feet before fading away to nothing.

------------------

Thundercracker entered the almost obscure room. Habit led him to look for a Cybertronian energy signature, but almost immediately he realized his mistake and looked for any simple heat signal. The only one he found was located on a desk in front of the window.

Starscream was there, sitting, with his arms leaning on his folded legs. He was absent-mindedly looking at the external marine scenery; his face was strangely calmed. Beside him, there was a small, empty, red plastic bag. It seemed that the humanised Air Commander had finally given up to hunger and had refuelled with the infamous dog food, or whatever that thing was. Nothing good could be expected from something called _Doritos, _after all. There was also a glass bottle half filled with a brownish liquid. _Whiskey, _the label announced.

There was something disturbing about the young human male. Skywarp had informed Thundercracker about the incident with the Insecticons and the peculiar repair session at Hook's tender hands. Despite the fact that he had never had a good relationship with Starscream, Thundercracker knew his Air Commander well enough as to know when he was feeling defeated.

"Starscream?" the blue Seeker asked cautiously.

Starscream looked over his shoulder. "Ah… Is that you, Thundercracker? I didn't hear you come in."

Thundercracker carefully approached. "Skywarp told me about your injury. What is your status?"

Starscream touched the small and barely visible scar that divided his right eyebrow. "Functional, I suppose… What does it matter?"

"I see you finally decided to refuel."

"Refuel?" Starscream asked as he glanced with disdain at the Doritos bag. "I wouldn't call the humiliating process I had to go through refuelling. All I did was introduce those disgusting things into my mouth, chew them and swallow them. I will spare you the details of the very unpleasant flavour."

"And what about that liquid in the bottle?"

"The whiskey? It's some sort of high grade energon… I guess. It's the only good thing Soundwave's runts brought me. It tastes worse than the cheapest fuel, but it helps me to relax."

Thundercracker frowned as he watched Starscream drink from the bottle. From the look on his face, it was obvious that the taste displeased him a lot, but it also seemed that he was beyond complaints. He had suffered too much in a very short lapse of time. Even Starscream had to have his limits concerning resistance.

"Eh… Starscream?"

"What?"

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, wonderful… I'm no taller than my former knees, I'm made of flesh and bones, I've been more humiliated in two cycles than I have in my entire life… Ah, and I almost got eaten by the Insecticons. What else could I ask?"

"I'm sorry… I know it was a stupid question, but…"

"Save it. It's not your fault, after all, not even Skywarp's. I got myself into this hell."

"You won't change anything by being sorry for yourself."

"Well, I won't make it worse either, now will I?"

"Things can always get better, Starscream," Thundercracker said, smiling. "I brought you something that will cheer you up."

"What is it?" Starscream asked without interest.

Thundercracker opened a panel on his forearm and took out a small, flat, white box, placing it right beside Starscream.

"See for yourself," the blue Seeker said.

Starscream opened the box and his face illuminated with relief as he caught sight of the carefully folded black textile.

"It's called a tuxedo," Thundercracker explained. "I scanned you and brought you the best size according to your structure. And don't worry, it's perfectly proper for a human male, I made sure."

Thundercracker was still talking when Stasrcream had already emptied the box and was trying his luck with the pants.

"Huh… Starscream… I think that metallic mechanism goes in the front."

"Sounds logical," Starscream replied as he removed the pants and put them on again in the correct way.

"I know black is not your colour but…"

"Never mind. I couldn't care less about paintjobs right now," Starscream said as he continued dressing up, zipping the pants and putting on the tuxedo's jacket, not caring at all about his outfit not having a shirt.

"So… how do I look?" he asked looking down at himself.

"Less obscene."

"Ha…" traces of his usual irony appeared in Starscream's grimace. Perhaps it was not too late for him, but the dead end he was at seemed every moment more impossible to overcome.

Like reinforcing the lack of hopes, a red light shone on Starscream's main computer and the monotonic voice of Soundwave could be heard, as warm as a death penalty.

"Attention Starscream. Megatron demands your presence in the Command Center. Delay in fulfilling the order won't be tolerated."

The communication ended.

Starscream shook his head and got up. "Well, this is it… It wasn't so unpleasant to fly beside you all these vorns, Thundercracker. Would you mind escorting me to the Command Center? I don't want to be squashed –or eaten– on the way. At least, perhaps, Megatron will give me a quick death… perhaps."

Thundercracker nodded. Maybe it was true; and maybe he _was_ looking at his Air Commander for the last time.

_To be continued._

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_Many thanks to Alaskan Olive and Fire Redhead for inspiring the title of this chapter with their reviews. Keep your comments coming guys and gals, we love to receive them :o) _


	10. Of dogs and mechs

_We want to apologize for delaying in updating this story, but we were reaching a critical point in our other joint fic, "Cantabile", that required our attention. But now that we solved it, we present you this chapter, the one that will show the next twist in this story._

_We also want to thank all of you for the support we have received for this fic. We are so happy that you are enjoying it as much as we do. And believe us, we have plenty of juicy things planned for the adventures of human Starscream ;o)_

_Alright now, let's proceed, shall we?_

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**Chapter 9  
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**Of dogs and mechs**

Starscream stood before the closed doors of the Command Centre, his mind lost somewhere between humiliation and desolation. He could feel his fleshling heart buzzing with the intensity of a dozen overloaded processors, whilst beads of cold sweat pooled on his forehead, making his flesh clammy.

This was it, the end of his free life... no matter what Megatron had in store for him there was no hope left for him; he was destined to lose it all.

The shards of his shattered dignity...

His rank...

And in all probability, his life.

Suddenly he couldn't feel his feet touching the floor anymore, numbness gripped his limbs, making his flesh tingle. He felt strange, like his body was somehow removed from the tangible world and instead existed as a spectre, floating through time. A hush fell upon his surroundings, all sound curiously muffled as if in a dream... even the rhythm of his own heartbeat sounded distant.

The human licked his lips; they were so dry, the skin puckered and peeling, burning with an unnatural heat.

Perhaps this was what true fear felt like...the kind of fear his victims had felt in the instant before their termination.

Was this supposed to be some kind of test, then? Something to challenge his ideology, something to teach him a lesson?

Or was simply the effect of the human fuel "whisky" taking hold...

"You ok, Starscream?" a familiar voice spoke from behind. Thundercracker. Probably the closest thing he had left to being a friend. "Starscream...?"

The human shook his head slightly, drawing himself out of the darkness of his thoughts and back into the equally dark embrace of reality. "Mmm? Did you say something, Thundercracker?" he muttered weakly.

"I asked if you're ok," the Seeker replied gently. "Do you want me to go in with you?"

Starscream looked down at the dull metal beneath his bare feet, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "No," he replied evenly, "this is something I need to face on my own."

"You sure about that?"

"Yeah. Besides, I don't want you to witness my termination. I want to be remembered for my greatness, not for the pool of blood and broken flesh I am destined to become."

"Understood," Thundercracker replied solemnly.

Starscream stepped forward, a defeated sigh escaping his lips. "Thank you, Thundercracker," he said with the ghost of a voice, not daring to look back at his comrade. The last thing the human wanted in that moment was to see the look of pity now contorting the flier's face; it was too humiliating.

-----------

The Command Center was unusually dark. Starscream entered with the same level of trust he would have done had he known it was a trap. He was expecting the worst, but still, he couldn't avoid feeling the unmistakable bite of fear.

"Megatron?" he cautiously asked.

The answer didn't come in the shape of words. He heard a noise cutting the air and suddenly something thin, hard and cold trapped his neck. Instinct made him grab with his hands whatever it was that was now suffocating him. He knew it was useless, though. His head could roll in any moment, and there was nothing he could do to avoid it. One astro second later, a violent pull on his improvised leash threw him to the floor.

The lights turned on at the same time his chin was welcomed by the cold metal beneath.

"M…Megatron…" Starscream muttered, staring at the imposing figure standing before him. The Decepticon leader's face seemed rougher than ever as he held the other extreme of the chain with his right hand.

"You fulfil the role of a pet with perfection, Starscream," Megatron spoke. "Who would have thought it? So many vorns spent plotting against me to take over the Decepticons' leadership, and you end like this… like a human dog."

Megatron pulled the chain again, making Starscream almost crash against his foot. The young human was astonished that his head remained attached to his body after such a violent yank.

"So, dog," Megatron continued, his voice more cruel than ever. "In consideration of the mediocre service you have given to the Decepticon cause over so many vorns, I will allow you the grace of deciding the method of your deactivation. Although, you only have two options: either I crush you right now, or I vaporize you with my fusion cannon without leaving any trace of your existence. Which will it be?"

"No!! Wait!!" Starscream cried as he hurried to stand up and struggled with the chain around his neck. "You can't do this to me, Megatron! I am your Second in Command!"

"No human worm will ever be my Second in Command!"

"You have to give me a chance, leader, please! You can't just kill me off! I have served you loyally all this time…"

"Oh, spare me the irony, Starscream! You have spent more time thinking about how to dispose of me than about the glory of the Decepticon Empire!"

"No! That's not true!"

Megatron dropped the chain as if he were touching something repulsive and calmly walked to his throne. Starscream watched him sitting as he removed as best he could the chain from his sore neck. He knew that a moment of tranquillity didn't mean his life had been spared; it could be the preamble of the ultimate suffering.

"What would you do in my place, Starscream?" Megatron asked. "What would you do if I were the one turned into a human?"

"I… I would help you, of course."

Megatron punched the armrests of his throne furiously. "If you want to remain functional you will speak with the truth for once in your filthy life!"

Starscream sighed and bowed his head. "I would kill you… and not without mocking you first."

Megatron smirked. "Ah, now we are talking."

"My leader, please… I beg you to help me. I don't want to die as a human… I am a Cybertronian, a Decepticon, a Seeker… the best of the Seekers… I was called 'prince of the skies' by Seekers who were far older and more experienced than me… And now I have lost my wings, I have lost my honour… I can't stand it anymore. Help me, Megatron…"

"Help you? Interesting choice of words, Starscream. And how exactly do you expect me to, I quote, _help_ you?"

"Find the missing element to recreate the water of the Well of Transformation… It can't be unique… The universe is infinite and the Decepticon Empire has the resources to find it."

"Resources that I don't plan on wasting to assist a treacherous piece of filth like you."

"Megatron, I implore you…"

"I said no! You surprise me, Starscream. You know perfectly well that I'm not the type that risks major goals for a simple soldier. The benefit of all Decepticons cannot be disregarded to favour one."

"I'm not a simple soldier!"

"True. You are not even an individual."

Hurt by Megatron's words, Starscream bit his lips with impotence. His leader was right and he knew it. What did his potential and intelligence matter if he was trapped inside an infinitely weak and perishable body? But still, he refused to accept reality. He had fought all his life to reach the top, and surrendering wasn't his style. It would never be, even if the entire Universe were plotting against him.

"I am an individual, I am a Cybertronian, and I am a Decepticon, Megatron! And I won't accept anything you have to say against that fact. I don't care if you made me come here to satisfy your sick sense of humour, but you know as well as I do that you need me! You can't afford to lose your Second in Command and Air Commander! This Empire needs me!"

"As always, you overestimate yourself, buffoon. No soldier is irreplaceable, even less a crawling vermin like you. You got yourself into this mess because of your own stupidity, now you have to deal with the consequences. If you were a true Decepticon as you claim to be, you would face this problem with bravery instead of barking like the weakling dog you are."

Starscream stared at his leader with infinite hate. It didn't matter that Megatron could kill him with a single finger. Starscream was beyond all fear in that moment.

"Don't you dare underestimate my predicament, Megatron!! You have no idea what it is like to be a slagging human being!! Do you know how humiliating it was to have to stand for more than a breem holding this fragging genital thing I have between my legs before I could urinate for the first time in my life?! Do you?!!"

Megatron grimaced in disgust. "Please, spare me the details about the functioning of your intimate circuitry. I am pleased to see that you have at least covered it."

The strange sensation of weightlessness returned, this time accompanied by a horrible feeling of sickness deep within the pit of his stomach. Desperation guided Starscream's next movement. He felt as if his organic brain was in chaos, a battle of erratic and contradictory thoughts. He had always been volatile but now things were just too extreme to try to control them.

He fell on his knees and leaned his forehead on the floor beneath his leader. "Megatron… I beg you… I can't tolerate being trapped inside this body anymore, I can't… Please… I'll do anything… anything!"

A cruel smirk appeared on the harsh face of the Decepticon leader as he rubbed his chin with sick satisfaction. It wasn't strange for Starscream to kneel before him, but for the first time since a young cadet did it to swear his eternal loyalty, he was doing it with honest desperation. Watching Starscream humiliating himself was gratifying, but also disturbing. Megatron had never seen him so helpless and panicked.

"Lift your head, dog."

The shivering human obeyed.

"Is that optic fluid that's coming out of your eyes, Starscream?" Megatron asked, feeling a bizarre mixture of disgust and disappointment as he witnessed the extremes his normally arrogant Second in Command was reaching.

"No… no… I…" Starscream stammered as he hurried to rub his wet eyes.

"So now you cry? Is there a limit to your pathetic spectacle of self-humiliation? Where is your pride?!"

"It's this body… this accursed body… I… I can't control my emotions… I just can't."

Megatron got up from his throne and slowly walked toward the console of the computer, turning his back on Starscream.

"So, you ask for my help… Brave words coming from the useless creature you are now. In the case I decide to help you, what would you give me in return?"

"Anything… anything! I'll be your most loyal servant, your guardian, your slave…"

"I am not in the mood for stupid jokes, Starscream! If you really want to recover your body, you better be ready to do what it takes to win the right to have it back."

"What do you mean?"

"If you had at least the average intelligence of a warrior, you would've already found the way to make good use of your situation instead of wasting time whimpering like a cowardly whelp. Think, you stupid idiot, think! What advantage do you have now, one that no one else has?"

Starscream didn't have to force his brain too much to find the answer. The clouds of his mind were dissipating before Megatron's words. "The Autobots… they don't know that I…"

"Exactly!" Megatron interrupted him. "Don't take my words as an order, but as an ultimatum. In exactly three terrestrial hours you will be taken to the closest civilian area to the Autobots' base. You are to infiltrate the Ark and gain Prime's trust. If you succeed, you have my word that I will do everything in my power to obtain the missing element needed to recreate the water from the Well of Transformation. If you fail, you will remain as a fleshling for the rest of your life, as short as it may be."

Starscream felt the blood inside his body freeze. The idea of being abandoned in human society and being surrounded by flesh creatures was terrifying. But getting into the Autobots' circle of trust was too much… a mission too hard even for a consummate liar like him.

"But… how do you expect the Autobots to trust _me_?"

"Your problem entirely. Make good use of Prime's kindness and ingenuousness. He will never expect of one of his beloved flesh creatures to become his perdition."

"But… but… I can't just blend in with the human society… I'm a Decepticon… There is no way…"

A furious punch on the computer's console showed just how frayed Megatron's patience was in that moment.

"Slag it, Starscream! Are you going to stop whining for a fragging moment?! How difficult can human society be? Didn't you manage to survive in Kaon before the war?"

"Yes, but…"

"I highly doubt that the peaceful human communities can be compared with what Cybertron was before our insurrection. Consider this mission as a test, as the last opportunity I'm giving you not only to recover your former self, but to continue functioning. If you want to remain as my Second in Command, you will have to prove you deserve it."

Starscream frowned, his scar aching as he considered Megatron's words. As always, it was very difficult to comprehend his leader's true intentions. Megatron was as impossible to read as he was despicable. Many things could hide behind the unique mission he had just been assigned to: a real espionage and sabotage strategy against the Autobots, a sick display of Megatron's sense of humour sending him to a certain death, or authentic proof that his leader trusted in him to overcome the challenge and recover his honour.

"What will be my backup? What about weapons and espionage equipment?"

"You will carry nothing more than the human garments you are wearing. In case the Autobots discover you, I don't want anything that will link you to us. As soon as you leave this base, you will be an ordinary human being, so you better hurry to choose a new denomination and identity. Time is running."

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Starscream was surprised to find Thundercracker standing in the dimly-lit corridor outside the Command Centre, waiting for him. He had expected his wingmate to abandon him as soon as he had crossed the threshold into Megatron's throne room, never to see him again, but there he was; leaning against the wall, head bowed and arms folded, his dark form caressed by the shadows. He lifted his gaze when he heard the human approaching.

"So he let you live, then?" the Seeker said darkly. "But not without a price, I suppose?"

"Your supposition is correct," Starscream replied as he continued forward, his movements somewhat unsteady.

"And? What did he ask you to do?"

Starscream staggered slightly, his hands reaching out for the wall in an effort to steady himself.

"Oh, just a simple task," he replied once he had regained his balance. "I am to infiltrate The Ark, win Prime's trust and act as a spy."

Thundercracker's optics widened in response to the human's words; to Starscream's drunken mind it seemed that they were close to exploding. "That's not going to be easy, Screamer."

"Maybe not, but I don't have any other choice. It's that, or die as a human."

"Tough decision. I honestly don't know what I'd prefer, if I were unlucky enough to find myself in your position. At least if I were dead the humiliation would be over. The thought of living in amongst the squishies, and the Autobots...brrr."

"Lucky for you you're not in my position," Starscream hissed acidly. "You couldn't possibly understand how unbearable this is, so don't even try."

"You're right, I'm sorry."

"Don't bother with apologies, there is no point to them. As long as there is some hope of reclaiming my true form I will keep fighting, no matter what it takes. I don't know what Megatron is planning, I don't know if he is truly willing to help me or if this is all part of some sick game, but I am going to prove myself worthy of this challenge. He has given me a chance, and I am not willing to waste it. My pride depends on it."

"Is there anything I can do?"

Leaning back heavily against the wall, the human sank down to the floor and drew his knees to his chest. He was certain now that it was more than fear or humiliation messing with his systems; it seemed alcohol was as intoxicating for humans as high grade was for Cybertronians.

"I've got three terrestrial hours," Starscream responded after a moment of silence. "Three hours in which to acquaint myself with the basic concepts of human society so that I don't give myself away with my ignorance the second I step foot amongst them. It's not like me to ask for help, but..."

"You got it, Starscream." Thundercracker interrupted, "Just let me know what you need and I'll do my best to help you."

Starscream looked up at the mech towering over him, his face suddenly losing all colour. The cold sweat returned, as did his feeling of sickness...but this time it was different; this time it wasn't caused by terror.

"You...you can help me find a name... And help me learn something about the city called "Portland"...I think that's what it's called..." Starscream paused, desperately fighting against the horrible sensation clawing at his insides. "But first...I need you to find a cure for being over energised..."

And with that the human turned away, purging his system of his first meal, and the accursed liquid known as whisky...

_To be continued._

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_So time has come to Starscream to be thrown into the human society and into the Autobots. Will he succeed in his mission?_

_We hope you enjoyed this chapter, please let us know. Expect fast updates for both of our joint fics._


	11. A rose by any other name

_Author's notes: We apologise for the delay in updating, but we've been busy with other things, including writing a few juicy scenes for upcoming Fleshling and Cantabile chapters. Hopefully this will be worth the wait!_

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**Chapter 10**

**A rose by any other name would smell as sweet**

"Crothers?"

"No."

"Bell?"

"No."

"Cullen? Welker?"

"Slag, no… For some reason, those two repulse me to the core."

"Hey, maybe they were your deadly enemies in an alternative dimension. Welker has power, authority…"

"Skywarp, if I want your wise opinion I'll ask for it. Next?" Starscream said as Thundercracker continued enouncing the human last names he had found on the terrestrial internet.

"Stephenson? That one has class," the blue Seeker said.

"Maybe for you, but it doesn't fit me. Next."

"Dobson? Kenny? Adler?"

"I like them… especially the second. But no, perhaps in my next reincarnation."

"We don't reincarnate, Screamer," Skywarp said.

"Oh for the slagging Matrix… never mind."

Thundercracker grinned and continued.

"Collins?"

"Collins… Collins…" repeated Starscream. "That may be the one… Next?"

"Britney Spears."

"Look, Skywarp, if you are not going to be helpful, then you should teleport the slag out of here!"

"Where is your sense of humour, fleshy?"

"Starscream is right, Warp. Can you take this seriously?"

"I am taking it seriously, TC! I was just joking to help Screamer relax a little."

"I don't see him being very relaxed… By the way, Starscream, you don't look very well."

"Thank you for the observation, Thundercracker. An observation I never requested, by the way! Could you stop pointing out how disgusting I look in this flesh body for one single astro second?!"

"No, I didn't mean that. What I'm saying is that you look pale… Are you sure you refuelled again properly after your purging?"

"Yes, yes… I began to feel dizzy after the Insecticons chased me and my head is hurting a little, but it must be the stress…I think the effects of the whisky have worn off... Can we continue now? I'm just some breems from being literally thrown into the humans nest and I don't even have a fleshling name yet!"

"Alright, alright…" Thundercracker gave up. "What about Latta?"

"What did you say?"

"Latta."

Starscream rubbed his chin. "Latta… for some reason, it sounds familiar."

"Perhaps it was you, you know, in another dimension… Why don't you take it?" Skywarp said.

"I take it."

"Latta it will be, then," Thundercracker said, relieved by the thought that he would no longer have to continue looking for human surnames. "That leaves us with the problem of finding you a first name."

"What about Britney?" Skywarp insisted. "We can add a title, like Lady, or Princess…"

"Skywarp, I'm warning you…"

"Queen Elizabeth? Madonna?"

"SKYWARP!"

"What?"

"Those are feminine names, you glitchead!"

"So?"

"I am not a slagging femme, in case you haven't noticed!"

"Thank Primus for that. You would be such an ugly girl… and grumpy."

"I'm not ugly!"

"Well, you are certainly not as handsome as I am. And now that I think about it, you don't deserve to be called Madonna… She is like hot, for a fleshling."

"Would you two shut up?" Thundercracker growled. "We are wasting time. If we don't find a name soon, Starscream will have to use the first one we find."

Skywarp pushed Thundercracker from the console of the computer and analyzed the screen full of human names.

"What about Megan?"

"That is also feminine!" Starscream complained.

"And Shia?"

"Enough! I had enough of you two morons. I'll do this myself."

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Starscream began to scroll through the list of human names before him, his lips curling into a contemptuous grimace. He hated the thought of giving up his beloved name, his identity, his power... But giving it up for something as humiliating as a human denomination, it was shattering.

"What about Chris...Michael, Frank, Hugo...?"

Names rolled over Thundercracker's lips but Starscream wasn't really listening; none of those names were worthy of him.

"...Josh, John, Peter...?"

"Ughh, they are all repulsive names!!" the ex Seeker finally exclaimed. "How can those accursed fleshlings stand having such pathetic designations! I want something powerful, slaggit, something that resembles my true identity!"

"What about Isobel then?"

"That joke is getting really old really quickly, Skywarp!"

"Something that resembles Starscream," Thundercracker said, rubbing his chin and ignoring his purple wingmate. "I don't think that's going to be easy to find, especially with time against us. Well, what if we start with names that begin with the letter S?"

"It's worth a try, at least it cuts down on the number of options to search through," Starscream sighed.

Thundercracker amended the search terms in the database he was exploring.

"Ok...well, we've still got over ten thousand options, and that's after I excluded all the names unsuited to the human society in Portland."

"Great..." Starscream mumbled.

"Let's just go in alphabetical order, then," the blue Seeker said before reading off the dreaded list. "Sam. It means 'bright as the sun'."

"No."

"Samuel."

"No."

"You sure? It says here it means 'like the sun'. Both of those could be good options for you, since your denomination contains the word 'star', and the sun is a star. It might be suitable for..."

"I said no," Starscream interrupted angrily. "Next?"

"Sawyer."

"No."

"Scott."

"No."

"Sean...Sebastian...ohh, that means 'majestic'. You consider yourself majestic, don't you Starscream?"

"What was that?"

"Majestic, the name Sebastian means majestic."

"No, I heard that. The one before it."

"Ahh...Sean. Why? You like it?"

Starscream remained silent for a few astro seconds, repeating the foreign name over and over in his mind. He didn't know why, but there was something attractive about that name, something that resembled his Cybertronian designation if he stretched his imagination.

_Starscream...Sean...Starscream...Sean...Sean...Sean..._

"What does it mean?" the human finally asked, the slightest hint of optimism in his voice.

"Ahh... 'heavenly generosity'."

From his place on Starscream's workbench, Skywarp snorted with laughter.

"Generous?!" the Seeker exclaimed between guffaws. "Is it possible to find a name _less_ suited? Calling him generous is like calling Soundwave bubbly!"

"Frag off, you stupid glitch," Starscream spat harshly. "I'm the most generous being in this base and don't you forget it. If it wasn't for my generosity you would have been dead millions of vorns ago."

"Ohh, yeah, I can see how that makes you so generous...pfffttt...you talk such slag sometimes Screamer, you're hilarious!"

"So, are you going to use it, or do we have to waste what little remains of your time left on this base searching endlessly through names? Need I remind you that you still don't know anything about this city you're about to be dumped in."

"It's not great...but I suppose it will have to do," Starscream conceded, rubbing the back of his head. "Sean Latta...it could be worse. Well, I guess that's it then, the end of my Cybertronian existence."

"Ahh, don't be too sad Sean," Skywarp said, sliding off the workbench to make his way over to his two companions. "Now that you have a name you can start thinking about more important things. Like pick-up lines; I doubt 'what a pair of curves...too bad I'm scarce of breaks', or 'I'm ready to become one with the matrix because I have seen paradise' are gonna work with the human femmes."

"I'm not even going to dignify that with a response."

"You just did."

"Argh! For Primus' sake, you stupid Pit-spawned son of a glitch! I swear when I'm back to normal...!!"

"Hey, cut it out you two!" Thundercracker cried, exasperated. "Now, Starscream, what else do you need help with? You don't have a lot of time left."

"What do you mean what else do I need help with? Everything!! Don't you morons realize that I don't know anything about the primitive human society? Anything!"

"Relax, Sean, or you will blow a gasket, or whatever you have in that ugly frame."

"Stop calling me that, Skywarp!"

"It's your name now, isn't it?"

"Skywarp is right, Starscream. It would be better if you start to get used to that designation."

"I will... as soon as I leave the base. In the meantime, can you please keep calling by my name, my real name?"

Skywarp tilted his head. "Ok ok... Screamer will be, then."

"That's not my fragging... oh who cares? Call me whatever, I don't give a slag!"

"As you command, Whatever..."

"Warp, shut it."

Starscream let himself fall on the console of the computer. He was tired, completely exhausted. He didn't know what he was doing, what reasons he had to keep struggling against a fate every astro second more unbearable. His first cycles as a human being had been a living hell so far, but what was waiting for him outside the Nemesis could be nothing but worse. He would be alone, alone in a city full of flesh creatures, dirty, primitive, foreign... He had no idea of their habits, of their culture, not even of the way they handled a simple conversation. He was doomed, this was a path with no return.

Something prodded his shoulder, moving his body to the side.

"...scream?" he heard within the fog his head was. He definitely wasn't feeling well. He wondered if the damn whiskey fuel was still acting within his body. But he didn't feel like purging again; the disturbance was in his head, which suddenly was feeling so heavy and hot.

"W...what?" he muttered weakly.

Thundercracker retired his hand. "I asked if you knew the basics about this Portland city... Are you sure your status is functional, Starscream?"

"Yes, I'm sure, and yes I know the basics about Portland or whatever its name is... we have flown above it dozens of times. I'm more concerned about where I'm going to recharge once I get there, and what kind of fuel will I consume."

"In terms of fuel, you should try to have a balanced diet."

"What the slag is a balanced diet?" Skywarp asked.

Thundercracker shot him an aggressive glance. "The human network states it is important that humans consume certain kinds of fuel, like vegetables, fruits..."

"Alright, alright," Starscream interrupted. "But that doesn't change the fact that I don't have a slagging place to recharge there."

"You'll figure something out," Skywarp said. "I'm sure you can acquire some sort of dwelling for yourself."

"And how do you suggest I do that, genius? I don't have human credits, do I? Or any kind of human currency for the matter..."

"Well, get it you fool! Aren't you a Decepticon, sort of?"

Thundercracker cleared his vocaliser. "Now that Skywarp mentioned it, you should seriously consider keeping a low profile, Starscream. Getting involved in illegal activities certainly will not help you in your mission. The Autobots like honesty and that kind of behaviour."

"Tell me something I don't know! Of course I don't intend to show up on the Autobots' doorstep with a criminal record behind me, but there is no way I can survive without financial support."

"Well, get a job then," Thundercracker said.

Skywarp laughed. "Yeah, why don't you try being a stripper? Rumble said that the recording of your cleaning session was highly successful on that human web page. Seems like the fleshlings like your little naked aft."

"I swear, Skywarp, if I weren't in a hurry... but nonsense aside, do you morons actually believe I will get a job?? That's not my style!"

Thundercracker scratched his head. "Well, you had a job before, remember?"

"Yeah," Skywarp intervened. "You were a scientist geek before playing the soldier boy."

"That was different and I don't want to talk about it."

"Why? Because of that Skyfire fragger...?"

"I told you to shut it, Skywarp!"

"Pfft... whatever. You are as much of a geek as he is."

"Maybe you can try something related to science," Thundercracker said. "That could get you closer to the Autobots... and to the humans."

"I don't have any intention of getting close to those filthy, fleshy beasts, so getting a job is out of the question!"

"I bet you a thousand energon cubes that you will get closer to those filthy beasts than you ever thought. Are you sure you don't want to work on your pick-up lines? If you are going to be forced into that world, at least try to have some fun. And what better fun than the ladies?"

"I like to have fun with _real _femmes, not inferior specimens."

"You are so boring. If I were you, I would spend the entire day rocking those human femmes. You are so lucky, if you consider it. To find a real femme we have to travel all the way to Cybertron, and in that Portland place you will have tons of femmes, thousands! And all for yourself..."

"I mean it Skywarp! I'm facing an inferno here and all you can talk about is about femmes? What in the pit is wrong with you??"

"Oh, I give up! Slag yourself, then. Me and TC are only trying to help you."

"You can take your help and..."

The door hissed open, revealing a small but mocking silhouette.

"What do you want, Rumble? We are busy here," Thundercracker growled.

"Time for Screamer to go," the blue Cassetticon said.

Starscream got up, almost falling from the console. "What? Megatron said I had three terrestrial hours!"

"Yep, but Soundwave still has to perform a little procedure on you..."

"What do you mean procedure?" Thundercracker suspiciously asked.

"Dunno the details. Just come, pronto! Megatron doesn't take no for an answer, ya know him."

Starscream felt his body shivering. His forehead was damp; fear or sickness, he didn't know anymore. Question was if he cared.

_To be continued._

_

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_

_Well, that was our little homage to some of the great actors who gave their voices to our favourite characters. Some of them sadly have already departed and are one with the Matrix, like Scatman Crothers (unforgettable Jazz) and Mr. Christopher Collins, aka Chris Latta, who obviously inspired Starscream's human name in this fic. We dedicate this story to him with all our love. Intense, complex and multifaceted, Chris gave not only a voice but a part of his own soul to Starscream, turning him into the character we couldn't help but love. What a way to reach immortality._


	12. Hello Portland!

**Chapter 11**

**Hello Portland!**

Starscream had never faced a firing squad, but he was sure it had to look like Megatron and Soundwave at that moment, a couple of real demons.

As he stood under the large threshold of the laboratory's entrance, he wondered if, before his transformation into a fleshling, he had also looked like that, a giant devil of red eyes and twisted smirk.

"Hey, Screamer!" Frenzy cheerfully greeted him, coming out from behind Soundwave. "I didn't recognize you with clothes."

"Ah, Starscream, how nice of you to honour us with your presence," Megatron said with his most ironic tone. "You didn't expect us to let you go without a farewell party, did you?"

"Of course not, especially considering how magnanimous you are, Megatron," Starscream replied with a sarcasm that rivalled his leader's.

"I'm glad you admit that," Megatron continued. "Now proceed to the table. You don't want to miss your present."

Starscream followed with his glance the direction that Megatron was pointing with his finger. From his spot on the floor it was impossible to see what was lying above, but he was sure it wouldn't be good for his health.

"I'll help you," Thundercracker said, kneeling.

"No!" Megatron firmly said. "Let him do it by himself."

Starscream grimaced. It seemed that the test had begun.

It wasn't because of obedience that he started to climb the metallic structure ahead of him. His life was at stake, as his was his trampled pride. A hit of energy inside his chest – which he would later know as adrenaline – momentarily defeated the heaviness in his head and helped him to find some of his former agility. Perhaps he had lost his ability to fly, but heights would never be his enemies. Despite his experience in climbing being almost nil, he managed to make his way up the workbench.

"Good, Screamer! You look like that Spider-Man dude… But I bet ya ten energon cubes that you fall before reachin' the top!" Frenzy cheered.

Megatron approached the workbench and folded his arms across his chest. "You are truly a crawling creature, Starscream. I wonder how many bones you will break when you fall, because you are going to fall… You know that, don't you? The other question is if you will survive…"

Starscream tried to close his audios. He had always relied only on himself to survive, and that wouldn't be the exception. Everybody was expecting him to fail, perhaps even his own wingmates, certainly tired of taking care of him. But he would show all of them that no obstacle would defeat him. He was Starscream, Second in Command and Aerospace Commander of the powerful Decepticon Empire, and he would continue being such even though he currently had another body and another name.

His legs and arms hurt at every mechano millimeter he gained, but his determination was stronger. Finally, his shivering hand reached the edge of the workbench and he pulled his body up, falling on the surface of the workbench with agitated pants.

"Not bad," Megatron said, disappointed that the young man hadn't crashed against the floor, "but any insect would have been capable of climbing a simple workbench."

Starscream was going to reply when he noticed the strange device that was laying on the surface. His latest acquaintances were there also, the shackles adapted to his new size. Whatever it was that was awaiting, it wouldn't be pleasant.

"What is this?" he asked.

Megatron made a contemptuous gesture with his arm. "Oh, nothing important, really. Take it as a small farewell present or, better said, my way to protect you."

"Protect me?"

"Of course. What kind of leader would I be if I wouldn't procure the welfare of my dear soldiers, even though in this case such soldier is a filthy organic beast?"

"How considerate of you, Megatron, but I insist in knowing what kind of… _welfare_ you are thinking about."

"As I said, I won't allow you to carry any weapon or Cybertronian device on your little adventure, but still, we will need a way to contact you. An inner com link is the best option."

"I-inner?" Starscream repeated. That sounded very bad, considering he wasn't a robot anymore. "Inner as in… inside of me?"

"No, idiot, inner as above your horrendous head. Of course inside of you, Starscream! Don't challenge my patience!"

"B… but how…"

"We've already wasted too much time. The terrestrial night has started and you need to abandon the base immediately. Soundwave, start."

Starscream retreated but Soundwave grabbed him and easily laid him on the surface of the workbench.

"NO! What the slag are you going to do?!"

It was Megatron who answered, exhibiting his most evil smirk. "You'll see, Starscream. It seems that my initial appreciation of your new structure was precipitated. Soundwave made me understand that there are ways to make good use of your human condition. Your audio system, for example, is not as complex as the one of a Cybertronian, but it can lodge a com link that will allow me to transmit you my orders."

"Not to mention it will give you my location all the time, won't it leader?" a scared Starscream asked as his body was being shackled to the table. This time his neck and forehead were also restricted.

"Ah, an insignificant detail, but you are correct."

"Another insignificant detail would be that if I try to remove the com link, it will kill me," Starscream snorted.

Megatron smirked. "You know me too well, Starscream."

Starscream's eyes opened to their limits when the machine above his head began to move and Soundwave's shadow bathed him.

"Have you considered that my body perhaps won't resist this procedure? Megatron, wait!! I'm sure there are other methods…!"

"Of course I have considered it, buffoon, but don't worry. You should thank Soundwave for designing a microscopic com link in such a short lapse of time. It will perfectly mould with your inner ear and will have a reach of ten thousand mechano miles. And don't worry about the Autobots detecting it. It's not made of steel, but of that weak human material… plastic. As you can see, your safety was always our main concern."

"I don't think my safety was among your worries when you decided to perforate my audio sensors!!" Starscream cried to Megatron before turning his attention to Soundwave. "Wait, you freak!! Aren't you going to use a pain killer? You may kill me!!"

"Pain killers: useless. Subject must be conscious during the procedure," Soundwave intoned.

"Yes, to satisfy your sick taste of listening your victims scream!"

Soundwave' s optic visor shone in sadistic anticipation. "Affirmative."

"You pit spawned freaaaaaarrrhhhhhh!!!"

A thin cable began to enter through Starscream's right ear and made its way through his auditory canal.

"Stop it!!! You are killing me, you fragger!!"

From his spot behind Megatron, Thundercracker stepped forward. "Lord Megatron, please… this is too much…"

"Silence, Thundercracker. Soundwave knows perfectly what he's doing."

The blue Seeker bowed his head and returned to his place. Skywarp put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Starscream faced his torture with his eyes and fists clenched. Perhaps he would die there… perhaps everything had been a sadistic prank of Megatron's doing, giving him a hope whilst all the time his real intentions had been to crush him like an insect.

The pain was excruciating; worse, it seemed, then the pain he had experienced when Kickback had split his head open. But then again, perhaps his perceptions were being challenged too; perhaps things only seemed worse because of the strange heat now invading his body, the uncomfortable itch in the back of his throat...

And the sound...

The sound alone was enough to make his stomach turn. He was certain that the beast inflicting that torture would have revelled in the horrible scuffling noise, the thud of his ear drum bursting, the buzz of the com link...

Then, finally, it was over. The thin cable abandoned his ear and all that was left was a sharp pain and the sensation of warm liquid coming out of his ear.

"We have finished," Megatron said. "It wasn't that bad, was it Starscream?"

"You have balls, Screamer!" Frenzy laughed. "For a moment I thought you would pee your pants."

"Screw… you… Megatron…" the young man stammered, unable to repress the shivering of his body.

Megatron burst out in laughter. "Good! I'm glad to see you haven't lost your sense of humour. You are ready to face the humans now."

The shackles opened and Starscream got slowly on his knees, his hand attached to his sore right ear, which was still bleeding. The accursed red fluid started to sneak between his fingers, reminding him once again that the nightmare and reality were the same thing.

"Ready…?" he asked weakly. "Of course… I have never been so… ready…"

Now it was Skywarp who advanced a shy step toward his Supreme Commander. "Megatron, my leader… I think Starscream is not in a condition to initiate his mission yet."

The red optics that stared at Skywarp were as sharp as daggers. "What do you mean?"

"He… he's sick, sir."

"Sick?"

Skywarp nodded. "I think the human fuel he consumed caused some malfunction in his systems. His inner temperature has increased over the last few breems. Perhaps it would be prudent to wait a couple of cycles more…"

"Are you questioning my good judgement, Skywarp?"

"No! Of course not, Megatron!"

"Good, because I highly recommend you not to do it," Megatron spat, returning his attention to his humanized Second in Command. "You will leave now, Starscream. You have a human week to report the first advances of your mission. I will give you freedom to choose a course of action, but if you fail, I don't need to tell you that what happened today was paradise compared to the procedure I will personally execute in your pathetic body, is that understood?"

"Understood, yes…" Starscream said, feeling worse every moment.

"We are ready to deliver Starscream to the human area of Portland, Megatron," Thundercracker said, hoping to have the opportunity to have a last talk with his wing leader and to make sure he was left in some safe zone.

"No," Megatron replied. "Astrotrain will transport him. You two retire to your quarters and wait for my orders."

Thundercracker shot an alarmed glance to Skywarp and he received a similar response. Both Seekers retired, knowing they had everything in their hands to support their trine leader, and very aware that in all likeliness they wouldn't see him again.

-----------

Starscream watched as his two wingmates disappeared from view, taking all hope of salvation with them. He would never have admitted it, but he was grateful for their efforts over the last few breems, even if Skywarp's moronic comments did drive him to insanity... And to have both of them challenge Megatron on his behalf... As humiliating as it had been, at least they had some respect for him as their Air Commander...

For he was certain they weren't doing it out of friendship.

But the empty space in the corridor was soon refilled, this time by the imposing figure of Astrotrain.

"You sent for me, Lord Megatron?" the Triplechanger said as he entered the laboratory.

"Ahh, Astrotrain, perfect timing for a change. I have a mission for you, to rid the Nemesis of a little pest problem."

"What?" he asked, scratching his head.

"You are to deliver Starscream to the human settlement known as Portland. And make sure you dump him in an area free of any witnesses, we can't afford to have his cover blown before he has a chance to mess up his mission on his own."

At his Supreme Commander's words Astrotrain deviated his optics to the floor, noticing Starscream's presence for the first time. The Triplechanger's lips contorted into a grimace of disgust.

"But my leader," he said. "I've only just decontaminated myself from carrying him back to base after the mission failed! Please, let one of his wingmates do it, Seekers don't seem to have a problem with touching him!"

"Are you questioning my orders, Astrotrain? As much as I sympathise with your disgust, his wingmates cannot be trusted with such a task. I want him out of this base, now, Astrotrain."

Megatron's crimson optics narrowed with perverse pleasure as he watched Astrotrain reach down and pick up the squirming human. The look of revulsion on the Triplechanger's face was amusing, but it was the sight of his Second in Command floundering in total panic that made the silver tyrant feel a great sense of satisfaction.

"Put me down this instant, you fragging rust bucket!"

"Sorry, Screamer, but you heard my orders. I don't like this any more than you do...although I have to admit the thought of never seeing you again makes it worthwhile."

"The feeling is mutual there, Astrotrain! You will live to regret this!"

"Soundwave," Megatron spoke as he walked towards the exit, "make sure you establish the tracking signal once Starscream arrives in the human settlement."

"Affirmative."

"Oh, and Starscream," Megatron said as he turned back to face his soldiers. "You are hereby stripped of your rank; Soundwave will be my Second in Command and Thundercracker will be Aerospace Commander."

"But...what? No! Megatron, you can't do this to me! I am the only one worthy of those titles; I'm the only one capable of bringing glory to the Decepticon cause! Stripping me of my rank...it's another foolish step towards failure."

The imposing silver mech laughed then, his sheer enjoyment of the situation surpassing any pretensions of seriousness. "Ahh Starscream," he hissed cynically, "you never cease to amuse me. You really think you're irreplaceable, don't you? Well, I'm sorry to inform you that you are sorely mistaken. A fool like you has very little value in my army; replacing you brings no concern to me."

"Really? Tell me then, oh glorious leader, why you put me in such high-ranking positions in the first place? I'm the best you've got and you know it..."

"Have you not heard of the saying 'keep your friends close and your enemies closer'?" the dictator said sarcastically. "But no matter, the reality is that I cannot allow a pathetic flesh creature such as you to remain in a position of power. If, in the unlikely event that you manage to succeed in regaining your true form, then perhaps I may reconsider. But until that day arrives, I suggest you start focussing on more important things than your own delusions of grandeur. Astrotrain, get rid of him."

And with that Megatron turned his back on him and walked away, no thought of goodbyes or comforting words.

Starscream fell to his knees in the palm of Astrotrain's massive hand, totally humiliated. It was bad enough being trapped within that repulsive bag of flesh, worse being exposed to the torture and mockery inflicted by comrades...but being stripped of his rank... It was a failure more degrading than all of that put together.

How dare Megatron treat him so unfairly? He was Starscream, tyrant of the firmament; no one had the right to step on him like that. Irate fists punched furiously at the metal beneath him, rage and defeat becoming one.

"Hey cut it out, Screamer," Astrotrain said. "You're tickling me."

"Screw you, Astrotrain," the human spat.

"Hey, that's no way to talk to the one who gets to choose where you're released."

"Where I'm _released_? I'm not some fragging animal, you know!"

"Ahh, actually, you are. But enough slag, I had plans for this cycle so the sooner I get you outta here, the sooner I can get on with more important things."

Astrotrain tightened his grip around the human, threatening the integrity of his organic frame.

"Ahh, you slagging son of a glitch, let go of me this instant!"

The Triplechanger moved to exit, but the monotonous drone of the new Second in Command made him pause in his tracks.

"Astrotrain, suggestion: produce as much loud static through your com link while transporting Starscream."

"Ahh, what?" Astrotrain asked, confused.

"Starscream's audios damaged due to procedure. Excess noise: very unpleasant."

Astrotrain smirked evilly. "I think I'm gonna like having you as Second in Command," he quipped.

"You sadistic freaks!" Starscream cried furiously. "I will kill you both, I swear to Primus, your time is limited!"

From within his rage Starscream was certain he saw Soundwave's visor brighten slightly. The accursed fragger was laughing at him silently; he didn't need to see his face to know it.

-------

Starscream watched on in silence as the twinkling lights of the human city grew brighter with each second. It surprised him that he could see them through the pelting rain fogging the windows, the thick cloud enveloping the shuttle.

"Ok, Screamer, ETA 5 terrestrial minutes," he heard Astrotrain shout over the incessant scream of the static being produced by the Triplechanger's com link.

Five minutes...

Such an insignificant amount of time in the life of a Cybertronian, but to the terrified human those five minutes were welcomed...after they ended he would have nothing left...

Starscream could feel his heart racing within his chest, pounding furiously against his ribcage. He wondered if that was how his victims had felt when they had faced their ending at his hands; he hoped fate would be more merciful than he had been.

Strong turbulence shook Astrotrain's form as he began to descend, the sensation making Starscream's stomach lurch. It wasn't necessarily an unwelcomed feeling – being an ex-flyer he was well accustomed to the sensation – but fear was wreaking havoc with his systems, making them act in contrary to his commands.

He felt lost, as if he was trapped within a thick fog with no visible path out. His entire body ached, a huge weight crushing him, and his ear... Soundwave's assertion of excessive noise being 'very unpleasant' had been an understatement.

"Get...to land..."

Words drifted in and out of his reality, sentences uncomprehended and unwelcomed. Starscream felt the rough bump of Astrotrain's landing before more meaningless words drifted to his audios:

"...up...transform...hey...listening to..."

The sudden sensation of Astrotrain's form moving and transforming about him brought the human out of his momentary stupor with a jolt.

"Hey, what the frag do you think you're doing, you're going to slagging crush me you dolt!"

"Well I told you to get out, didn't I?" Astrotrain said, pausing in his transformation to remove the shivering human from his structure. Roughly, he threw Starscream to the ground.

"Where the slag are we?"

"Ahh, Portland, dumbaft."

"No, moron, I mean where are we, _in Portland_?"

"Oh. Well, we're in the middle of a manufacturing estate right now. Steel, I think...or maybe it was aluminium. Whatever, who cares. It was the only place I could find free of squishies...Primus, those fraggers are everywhere!"

"What do you expect, we're in the middle of a human city! But you could have chosen somewhere where it wasn't raining, ugghh, I'm soaked already."

"How do you think I feel? I had to fly in it while you kept nice and dry inside!"

"Ahh, poor little Astrotrain, life is so cruel to you."

"Slag right, it is! Ok, then Screamer, time for me to go."

The reality of the Triplechanger's words impacted Starscream with the force of a bomb.

"N...no... Wait!! You can't leave me yet...I...I need to find somewhere to shelter for the night... You...you have to help me find somewhere..."

"Nope, sorry but that wasn't in my contract. I've had enough of this weather, I'm going back to the Nemesis."

"But...but you can't," Starscream pleaded in panic.

"I can and I am."

"No...please...don't leave me alone like this..."

Astrotrain looked down at the trembling human, his face expressing his disgust. Tense astro seconds of silence passed between them, only the sound of the rain bouncing off the Cybertronian's metal frame made itself heard.

"Goodbye Screamer..." Astrotrain finally spoke, his voice cold and indifferent. "I won't bother wishing you good luck, you won't last a breem out here."

The shivering human stood in silence as his deliverer transformed back into his vehicle mode and disappeared into the night. "May Primus send you to the Pit!" Starscream finally cried as the last glimmer of the shuttle's lights faded to black.

So that was it, then. He was alone, completely and utterly, with nothing but a new identity and a very basic knowledge of his surrounds.

What was he supposed to do now? How was he meant to establish a life for himself when he had no money, no form of identification, no idea...

A defeated sigh escaped his lips, followed by the horrible sensation of coughing. The heat in his body continued to rise as beads of sweat on his forehead merged unimpeded with the rain.

Misery took hold.

Starscream surveyed the area with disdain; dark buildings thrown into silhouette, backlit by the unforgiving city lights. In a way it reminded him of home – it seemed so industrial, so metallic – but the darkened form of an organic tree crushed those perceptions without any hesitation or remorse.

Rain ghosted through the light only to disappear into the darkness again, but the weather made itself know with its cold, wet embrace.

Starscream shivered; how he hated that accursed planet.

How he hated being alone.

_To be continued._

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_First and foremost, we would like to point out that neither of us are from Portland, in fact, we aren't even from the US. So, we would like to warn you all in advance that everything we write about the place will be based on research and our own imaginations, so please don't be offended if we get some of the details wrong! _

_We would also like to warn you all that as of next chapter, we will be changing the rating to M. We hope this doesn't deter you all from reading, but we think it's better to be safe than sorry._

_And finally, thank you all once again for your support and great reviews, they are always welcome! :o)  
_


	13. Cold November Rain

_We would like to thank Coldpaws for the information provided about the city of Portland. A big part of this story will take place in the streets of Portland, so her help will be quite useful when writing those chapters. We were happy to know that we weren´t so mistaken in our initial descriptions of the city, like the rain and the manufacturing sector._

_And for those of you that are curious as to why we chose Portland, well, according to most descriptions it's the closest human settlement to The Ark. _

_

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**Chapter 12**

**Cold November Rain**

Starscream stood motionless until the figure of Astrotrain disappeared within the night. He was sure that the bizarre human city around him would swallow his tiny frame at any moment. For the first time since his arrival on Earth, he truly felt like a foreigner, small, weak, insignificant among that chaos of concrete and organic life.

Rain continued falling on him, seeping through his clothes and slipping in thin trickles over his bare chest, water drops mimicking tears on his face. It seemed like his human condition wanted to force him to cry, but he wouldn't let that happen again. He had embarrassed himself enough for a life time when his organic eyes had allowed the accursed optic liquid to come out in the presence of Megatron.

He closed his jacket without buttoning it, and embraced himself. He had been under the rain for just some astro seconds and his clothes were already completely soaked and heavy, cold cloaks of discomfort over a body that was experiencing for the first time the caprices of terrestrial weather.

He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do; for the first time in countless millennia he was free to do whatever he liked, yet for some reason he yearned for the asphyxiating conformity of his former life like never before.

Sean began to walk...small steps, slowly... The first steps of his new life. He had no idea where he was going, no idea of which direction he should be heading, all he knew was that he had to move. Water seeped between his toes as he made his way across the rough asphalt, the surface a hostile enemy in comparison to the smooth metal of his former home, biting at his soft flesh.

Sterile walls of grey greeted him at every turn, each calling to him with promises of shelter only to betray him as he approached; it seemed there was no dry place for him in that accursed city.

In stark contrast, his throat felt parched as the desert; perhaps in his somewhat dazed state he was imagining it, but he was certain he was being strangled, his own body constricting his airways, making it difficult to breathe. A cough escaped him, racking his body. Starscream felt repulsed by his body's pathetic defences; it was truly undignified.

The human felt himself begin to shiver, it didn't matter how tightly he held his jacket about him; there was no escape from the cold. He made his way over to one of the larger warehouses, hoping to find some kind of reprieve. Perhaps if he could find an open door or window, he would be able to sneak in, find some shelter...

A frustrated groan escaped his lips, having to look for an open door or window...how pathetic was he now that he couldn't even blast his way in? Maybe he would kick his way in... spare himself some humiliation...

Approaching a grimy window, Starscream's pale hand rubbed at the glassy surface, cleaning an area large enough for his bright green eyes to peer through. Between the silvery streaks of water barely cleansing the window, the ex-Seeker could make out the dark form of several large machines – robots, in fact – built by the humans to produce whatever it was they required.

A strange sensation settled upon him. Perhaps if he sheltered there for the night he would feel safe, among family; in a way, they were like his brothers...built by someone else to serve.

Soulless.

Starscream shivered again... Maybe if he were still Cybertronian he would feel that way. But now... Now he was alone.

Seeing no door along the facade he was facing, the human decided that, given the relentlessness of the rain, the window would suffice as his entrance to warmth. Starscream ran his fingers over the pane of glass again, wondering if his flesh would stand the brutal impact.

He clenched his fist, pulling it back towards himself, and grimaced in anticipation.

Starscream was about to move again when a low growling sound suddenly made itself heard from behind. Not moving his arm, he turned his head slowly; his green eyes opened to their limits as they fell upon the dripping form of an organic canine.

The growl increased in anger as sharp, white teeth exposed themselves in the darkness. Starscream turned around slowly to face the beast, stepping backwards until his back touched the wall.

"Go...go away you slagging organic worm," Starscream said in a voice that barely hid his fear.

The dog took a menacing step forward, still growling.

"I said GO AWAY!"

A ragged bark replaced the growl, and suddenly Starscream realised that remaining still was not a safe option anymore. Mustering as much strength as his weary body would allow, the human took to his heel and ran.

Water splashed noisily beneath his feet as he sprinted across the factory yard, no thought of where he was going. The dog gave chase like a Seeker would at the sight of the enemy, still barking madly. Starscream felt pathetic as he realised the beast was closing in on him; from fastest in the skies to slow, unworthy ground dweller...

"Frag off, stupid earth creature," Starscream cried through ragged breaths; it seemed his lungs were about to explode with the exertion. He could feel his body weakening rapidly, it felt as though he would fall at any moment.

Was that his destiny, then? To be ripped to shreds by some organic beast so low on the chain that even the humans kept them as pets?

But even as he contemplated such an unworthy fate, salvation showed its face in the form of a fence.

With a final push of courage, Starscream forced himself to his limit, hurtling towards the mesh barrier. Closing his eyes, the human leapt forwards, grasping the wire fence like it were life itself. He began to climb, but as his hands reached the metal bar along the top he felt a sudden jolt to his left leg.

The dog had caught him, it's fierce mouth grasping the fine material of his trouser leg, pulling it's prey backwards.

"NO, slaggit!" Starscream cried, kicking furiously at the dog. There was no way he was going to allow that hideous animal to defeat him now that salvation was so close.

He kicked down hard again, catching the dog brutally in the face. It yelped and released it's grip long enough for the human to pull his leg free; by the time it had recovered Starscream had hauled his body over the fence and fallen unceremoniously to the ground on the other side.

"Take that, you slagging worm," Starscream hissed through painful breaths, resting on his hands and knees as the rain continued to fall upon him. The dog continued to bark angrily, jumping up at the fence in a futile attempt to reach him.

Turning his back to his attacker, Starscream sat for a moment, still trying to catch his breath. He was sure it hadn't been that hard to settle himself after running from the Insecticons, but then again, he hadn't felt like total slag then either.

Standing slowly, Starscream coughed again. He wobbled slightly as he made his way forward, exhaustion taking its toll on weakened muscles. A dense, white fog filled his vision for a moment and his world began to spin; the human found himself grasping blindly at a nearby light post to steady himself, the lamp casting him in a sickly light.

Shelter once again became his priority as he began to shiver again. He was so hot, and yet freezing at the same time; he was certain he would have been dripping in sweat if not for the rain. Starscream walked slowly, pulling his jacket tightly around him.

Buildings presented themselves as candidates for warmth, but they all seemed so unwelcoming and exposed... The last thing he wanted in that moment was to be seen by human scum.

Starscream lost track of how long he had been wandering the empty streets when he stumbled upon a small, dark alleyway. Cautiously, he peered down it's length.

Through bleary eyes, Starscream could make out the shape of several large dumpsters, soggy cardboard boxes and various other unwanted odds and ends... But what really caught his attention were the dark nooks and crannies, the overhanging verandas warding off the rain...

It wasn't much, but to Starscream the filthy alley seemed a sanctuary.

------------------

A flash of lightning illuminated the night, creating ghostly shadows in the dark alley.

Starscream opened his eyes. The sound reminded him that he had to keep moving; staying motionless would take him to a place with no return.

He managed to get up, feeling dizzy with the effort. He leaned both hands on the raspy wall whilst the storm kept punishing him, like cold, sharp needles.

He didn't know what was worse, the extreme coldness whipping his body or the heat burning his head. He was malfunctioning, that was for sure… whatever virus had started to affect his body before leaving the base was spreading through his body faster than cosmic rust, taking advantage of an organism that was facing a human disease for the first time.

The only positive thing about the storm was that there were no humans in sight, no flesh creatures to witness his suffering.

He dragged himself toward a small storage of supplies. Inside there was food, drinks, a dry place to rest… Starscream grabbed the black metallic grid that covered the closed door and shook it with fury and desperation. A groan of impotence came from his throat when he realized he wouldn't be able to break it. An insignificant grid that he could have destroyed so easily with one hand just some solar cycles ago, had beaten him now…

What kind of pathetic and weak creature was he... not even the shadow of his former self? Falling to his knees was a reflection of his defeat, more than his sickness.

He crawled toward a nearby wall protected by a small awning and leaned his back against it, embracing his folded legs with the vain hope of finding some warmth. But any trace of comfort was denied him that night. His clothes were completely soaked and cold, although his head continued to burn like fire. Was that his destination, to die as an anonymous human, nobody giving a slag about him?

Despite the coldness and the storm punishing him, he felt himself dragged into oblivion. He closed his eyes and started to give up his consciousness to whatever that followed. Within his drowsiness, he still could hear the drops of rain falling, monotonous and merciless…

Suddenly, he felt something pushing him. And again. And again.

A hand.

He opened his eyes and found two young, human males staring at him. The one that had touched him, tall and bulky, had reddish hair and his face was covered with small brown spots. The other one, thinner than his companion but with an equally ferocious look, had greasy black hair on his head and a good amount of facial hair around his mouth.

"Hey, pretty boy, you can't be here, you hear me?" the redhead said, poking him roughly again in the shoulder. "Get the fuck out!"

The black haired one forced him to get up, violently grabbing him by the neck of his jacket. "Hey Frank, check this out. He's wearing a tuxedo."

The one called Frank stared at Starscream from head to toes. "And he doesn't have a shirt, or shoes for the matter… What happened, pretty boy? Your boyfriend kick you out in the middle of your prom?"

The other man laughed.

"Let… go of me, human…" Starscream stammered, too weak to even speak.

"Human? He's really fucked up."

"Hold him, Pete. I'm going to check him."

Starscream was unceremoniously thrown against the brick wall behind him, held tightly by the human denominated Pete, who didn't release the neck of his jacket. He tried to free himself but the virus inside of him had weakened his strength considerably.

"I'd say he's pretty wasted," Pete said.

"And clean too. See? Nothing in his pockets," Frank said disdainfully, exposing the empty pockets of Starscream's pants and jacket.

"So no wallet, no watch, no shirt, no shoes…"

"And no underwear either!" Frank laughed, slightly tugging down Starscream's pants.

"Don't touch me!!" he cried, furiously struggling to push his attackers away.

Frank stepped back, taken by surprise. Pete punched Starscream in the stomach, making him bend over himself. Then he grabbed him by the hair and forced him to lift his head.

"Now listen, pretty boy. I don't know what the fuck you are doing here, but this is our territory and we don't like outsiders fooling around. So be a good boy and go home with your mommy, or things are gonna be pretty nasty for you, got it?"

"Yeah," Frank said, grabbing Starscream's jacket again. "You are very lucky your tux is a mess, otherwise we would leave you with your balls bouncing in the middle of the street."

"You...wish...slagger" Starscream hissed. Weakened though he was, he wasn't about to let two humans threaten him.

An angry fist slammed against Starscream's face, causing him to groan in pain.

"What did you say, pretty boy?" Frank said viciously. "Did you just say that you _want_ us to do that? Well, in that case..."

Another fist hit him, this time in the torso again.

"Is...is that all you can...manage?" Starscream said with fake courage; in all honesty he didn't know why he was condemning himself like that.

A punch to the face, and the ex-Seeker felt the unmistakable feeling of blood trickling down his face again; it seemed his nose was bleeding.

Grabbing both of his arms, the two men dragged Starscream toward the end of the alley and threw him on a big puddle of grey water.

"There, we got him good!" Pete said, clapping his hands.

Starscream managed to get on his knees, disgusted by the taste of the dirty water he hadn't been able to prevent from enter his mouth. With a trembling hand he wiped his face; thankfully it appeared that his nose had already stopped leaking his disgusting vital fluid.

"You will pay for this!! I will remember your faces! You will regret the day you crossed the path of Starscreaarrgghh…!"

A hard kick to his stomach made him fall again in the water.

Frank put his boot on Starscream's head and pressed downwards, not allowing him to lift it up.

"Are you deaf or only stupid, pretty boy? I think we made it very clear you are not welcome here! You are lucky you caught us in a good mood, but next time we won't be so generous. I don't want to see you wandering in our territory again, do you hear me?!!"

Frank finished his speech by kicking his fallen victim again. Starscream cringed and embraced his sore torso, hearing the mocking guffaws of the humans as they walked away.

--------------

The sound of the rain drops falling on Stella's umbrella was hypnotic.

The same old rain… but at least it kept her company as she stood alone, waiting in her corner. The rain always scared the clients, but perhaps some car would stop. It was almost 2 AM but pleasure had no schedules, after all.

She thought she saw two figures at the end of the street, disappearing into the darkness. Probably Frank and Pete. Who else would be around in such weather conditions?

Certainly not her, but the end of the month was coming. If she wanted to stay in her apartment at least thirty days more, she would have to put some money in Miss Haymer's hands.

The sound of footsteps behind her took her out of her train of thoughts. She peeked down the alley and saw a figure approaching within the rain. A man dressed in formal clothes walked laboriously, leaning on the wall.

Stella smiled. Some drunk guy… perfect. Because of his clothes, he was certainly carrying a fat wallet, and she knew from experience that drunk clients were generally generous with bills that included zeroes.

She gave a last smoke to her cigarette and threw it away. The rain rapidly extinguished it.

Apparently the man hadn't seen her and was walking blindly in her direction. It didn't matter. Men always needed to get laid, they just need to be reminded of such detail.

A lightning bolt revealed to Stella that her first impression had been mistaken. The man was younger than she had thought at the beginning, probably around his mid twenties. Also thinking of him as a rich man certainly had been a hurried impression. He was wearing a tuxedo indeed, but all muddy, and he had no shirt or shoes… His jacket was also torn.

However, he was very attractive, too attractive to just let him walk by… He was very handsome and his open jacket exposed a perfectly shaped torso. If Stella had to spend the night with a stranger, better do it with a first class stud like that one.

She leaned sensually against the wall and waited for him to get closer.

"Are you lost, sugar?"

He startled, noticing her presence for the first time.

"What's wrong?" she continued. "Did you have a rough night? Poor thing… I bet you need some love."

"Stay away from me, earth germ…" he stammered.

Earth germ? It was then when she noticed there was something wrong with him. His reddish eyes and the weakened expression on his face spoke for themselves. That young man was very sick.

"Are you OK?" she asked, abandoning the fake sensual tone she always used to address a possible client.

"Just… leave me alone…" he responded as he continued advancing, supporting his body against the wall.

She followed him, covering him partially with her umbrella. "You look terrible…"

"None… of your slagging… business…"

She ignored his words and put her hand on his forehead. "Oh my god! You are burning!"

He flinched when she touched him and fell to his knees. Stella didn't have second thoughts and made a decision.

"Come on," she said, embracing him by the waist and putting his left arm over her shoulder. "I live the next block over."

"W-what…?"

"We need to lower that fever of yours ASAP and I don't have enough cash to pay for a cab to the hospital… I think I have a bottle of Tylenol somewhere."

"Get away from me this instant, human… or I'll destroy you…"

Stella shook her head, really doubting he could fulfil his threats. He was too weakened, almost about to faint. He certainly was delirious because of the fever, although judging by the angry red marks on his face and torso, it seemed he was suffering from more than just illness.

"Listen honey, you have a really bad fever. If you keep wandering like this in the storm you are going to drop dead with the worst case of pneumonia you can imagine."

"P...pneumonia?"

"Well, yeah. You must be alien or something if you don't know what pneumonia is. Come on, we are almost home."

He seemed to hesitate but remained silent. Finally, he stopped resisting and allowed her to guide him.

------------------

Was he dying?

If he entered stasis lock trapped in that body… there would be no way back.

His organic body couldn't be replaced or repaired. He had a heart now; if it stopped, it would be the end. His ambitions, his destiny, his rank, his life…

And everything for a disgusting disease that had reduced him to the lowest limit of weakness. The beating had been nothing; he had survived far worse at the hands of Megatron and no human would ever damage him as badly. But to surrender to illness? He couldn't allow that to happen. He was still Starscream, the tyrant of the firmament… he had to survive.

It was that thought that convinced him to go with the human female and tolerate her touch. At least she didn't look aggressive or dangerous as the others, and any hope of a dry place to spend the night was very welcome.

He was sure he would collapse at any moment, but he pushed himself beyond his limits to continue dragging his feet. The human was supporting him but she was small and fragile, certainly very weak, and wouldn't be able to carry him if he fainted. He had to go on, just a little more, just a little…

Within the delirium and the rain, he tried to focus on the human femme. It was then when he noticed for the first time that she was wearing very few clothes. She had a small garment barely covering two rounded forms on her chest, and her legs were almost totally bare, defying the nocturnal cold.

But he would have time to worry about who his improvised saviour was later. At that moment, as always, his priority was himself, and he would have accepted the help of the Autobots themselves if that meant saving his life.

_To be continued._

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_Most of the human names we will use in this fic, be they first names or surnames, will be taken from actors who gave their voices to the Transformers series or live action films. In this chapter we used three, two kind of obvious and the third one not that much. If your guesses are correct you have won a complete cargo of energon goodies!_

_Next chapter coming soon. Thanks a lot for your reviews :o)  
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	14. Strangers and Nightmares

_As we approach certain scenes that some of you have been predicting (and asking for) since the beginning, we would like to point out a couple of things. First, it was never out intention to write a serious fic, it just happened by chance and we've ridden the ride. We plan on sticking with the levels of realism explored so far, but at the same time, it was always our intent to have some fun too (we point you in the direction of our author's notes for chapter 1). Second, we know some of you won't like what we've got planned for the next couple of chapters, but we really hope you stick with us; these events will lead to important plot twists in the future._

_All that said, thanks for the support so far, and enjoy!_

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**Chapter 13**

**Strangers and Nightmares**

For once, Starscream's claustrophobia didn't have any influence on the appreciation of his surroundings. He didn't care about the dirty flight of stairs, the flickering lights on the ceiling, the small room that received him after the human female opened a door with a small metallic key…

All he saw was a human recharge berth beneath a window, the most satisfactory vision he had seen since Astrotrain had dropped him in the damn fleshling city.

The femme guided him there. He didn't resist when she tugged at his jacket and allowed her to completely remove it, eager as he was to lay on the berth. It was relieving to be released from the soaked and heavy garment. He didn't notice the way in which the woman stared at his slim and muscular torso, and even less the way she passed a finger over his well shaped biceps before helping him to lean on the berth.

Starscream let himself fall on his back on the soft surface beneath him. Any real human being would have noticed the mattress squeaking, one side of the bed softer than the other one, the bedspread having some cigarette burns… but for Starscream it was his first human recharge berth, and nothing could have outmatched its comfort at that moment.

He closed his eyes, exhausted. Pain and weakness hadn't ceased, but at least he wasn't freezing in the rain anymore. He could stand everything else.

The feeling of hands on the lower part of his stomach and a sound that was already becoming familiar made him open his eyes again. The human female was unzipping his pants.

"What… do you think you are doing?" he said weakly.

"You are freezing. I'm going to give you a warm bath."

"Don't you dare touch me…"

"Come on sugar, don't be shy. I assure you, you don't have anything down there that I haven't seen before."

She finished unzipping Starscream's pants as she spoke. Her face brightened.

"You know…" she said with a tone of voice that Starscream could not identify. "There should be a law that forbids men like from using clothes…"

Embarrassment returned to Starscream as he noticed the way she was scrutinizing him.

She laughed, noticing his disturbance. "What's wrong? Is this the first time you've let a woman like me undress you?"

Starscream would have liked to have had a minimal amount of strength, at least to push her away. But her reaction was confusing. Was she saying that his appearance was not disgusting? Since he had been turned into a human, all he had heard was how grotesque and ugly he looked, and suddenly this human was saying the opposite…

The woman pulled again and suddenly his pants were down at his knees, but this time he didn't resist and allowed her to finish stripping him naked.

----------------

Stella ran her hand over Starscream's forehead, exhaustion evident in his pained expression.

"Your fever is really bad," she told him, frowning, "what on earth possessed you to go out on a shitty night like this?"

Silence was the young man's only reply, his green eyes gazing blankly at her for a moment, before closing slowly in defeat. The faintest hint of a sigh escaped his lips.

Stella cast away his sodden pants and took a hold of the bedspread, pausing momentarily to look upon her company. It seemed a shame to have to cover such a delicious example of masculinity like that, but it would be even more of a shame if he dropped dead. Slowly, she pulled the bedclothes over his shivering body.

"Now wait here a minute, honey, while I go run the bath," she said as she turned and left the room.

-----------------

The sound of running water echoed nosily in Starscream's aching ears, mixing with the rattle of the rain against the window, the rolling of the thunder that kept the night awake with its relentlessness. But nothing of that mattered to the ex Seeker, it couldn't have been more trivial.

He was dry, comfortable...even the fever and pain that raged within seemed less horrific now he was out of the elements.

He relaxed his trembling body, sinking deeper into mattress, allowing the blankets to envelop him, conforming to his figure; soothing him like a warm embrace.

Oblivion came; that welcomed emptiness... He succumbed to its consoling grip, allowing sleep to take his consciousness...

"Sugar...?"

A hand shook him gently, stealing away his desperately wanted reprieve.

"Sorry, sugar, but you can't go to sleep yet..."

The female fleshling shook him again, this time a little harder. He opened his eyes slowly.

"Welcome back," she said, a faint smile on her lips, "I'm sorry to wake you, but your bath is ready." She sat down on the bed next to Starscream, running her hand through his hair. "Let's get you warmed up, and then you can sleep as much as you like."

Starscream looked up at her through tired eyes; he couldn't understand why this human was showing such concern for him, why she felt so compelled to help him when no one else had ever so much as hinted at caring for him. It didn't make sense...

But he was too tired to focus on such questions, too weak to think... He didn't resist when he felt Stella's hands pulling back the bedspread, exposing his nudity once again.

----------------

Starscream lowered himself carefully into the small bathtub, the female's arms gently guiding him. He felt the warmth of the water embrace him instantly as he sank slowly beneath the surface, his aching muscles grateful for the reprieve.

The woman knelt beside the bath and placed a supporting arm around Starscream's chest, allowing the ex-Seeker to lean against her heavily. She dipped a washcloth into the water and began to wash him, her hand moving in slow circles over his back, water trickling down his well-defined form in rivulets.

Something like a small electric shock travelled through Starscream's body when she touched his back, right in the place where his wings joints would unite, if he'd still had them... The feeling of her touch wasn't unpleasant, not at all... It seemed that his new body kept certain memories of his Cybertronian structure, despite the pandemonium of changes he was forced to deal with now.

"Isn't that better?" Starscream heard her ask as her hand moved below the surface of the water, her fingers playing softly over his lower back. "You really shouldn't let yourself get so cold, sugar, it's no wonder you're feeling so sick... God, your muscles are so tense..."

What did it matter to her if he got cold and sick? Humans had never made any sense, and this female was no exception to that rule. He looked up into her dark eyes, and followed her gaze downwards... Even within his fever, he felt his temperature rising, his cheeks blushing in embarrassment.

She was looking at him again...at his hideous intimacy...

She smiled, noticing his disturbance.

"What's wrong?" she said. "You are not going to tell me you feel ashamed of being naked, are you?"

"Of course not…" he lied.

"You don't have to feel uncomfortable, sugar. I have seen more nude men than I could count… Although I must confess your looks surpass anything I have ever seen before."

Starscream felt the already familiar feeling of blushing returning to his face. He hated feeling so ashamed and defenseless in front of a simple femme, and a human to make things worse. The feeling was so far away in his memory banks that now it appeared as a foreigner. Where was his arrogant and self-confident temper when he needed it the most? Had the Well of Transformation also altered his mental patterns as drastically as it had his body?

He saw the human taking a green bottle and pouring a good amount of a viscous liquid onto the palm of her hand. He flinched a little when she started to rub his hair with the liquid, but relaxed when he realized it actually felt good. The liquid turned into some sort of foam over the fiber that covered his head, generating a smell that didn't displease him.

"Finish washing your hair," she said. "I'll be right back."

Starscream directed his hands toward his head and continued spreading the foam on his hair, trying to mimic the way the femme had done it. It was very strange having to wash himself; he was used to his cleaning unit taking care of the washing and polishing of his body entirely.

The female returned, carrying a glass half-filled with a white liquid.

"Here," she said, kneeling beside the bath tub again and offering him a small pill. "This should decrease your fever."

Starscream took the pill and stared at it suspiciously. He repeated the process with the glass of white liquid.

"What is this?" he asked.

She glanced at him, confusion reflected on her features. "Tylenol… and milk. I didn't have anything but this and half a bottle of tequila. Just drink it. It will make you feel better."

Starscream hesitated. It wasn't probable that the human would to try to poison him; she wouldn't have helped him otherwise. The pill, however, awakened his doubts. Was he supposed to introduce that small thing into his fuel line?

She seemed to be surprised by his behaviour. "Swallow the pill," she explained. "And drink the milk right after."

Starscream did as told, hoping that his ignorance concerning something so basic for the humans wouldn't awake her suspicions too much. Damn Megatron… if at least he had given him more time to investigate those accursed flesh beings…

Drinking the fuel called milk was not a displeasing experience. In fact, it had a taste that didn't challenge his tolerance. He drank it in a single gulp, suddenly realizing how thirsty he was.

"Easy, sugar," she laughed, taking the empty glass from his hands. "Take it easy, or you will choke…"

She put the glass on the floor and began to rinse Starscream's head. Warm water fell over his hair and ran over his chest, increasing his comfort. The water being so benevolent and not just a cold hell was a welcomed change.

"What is your name, by the way?" she asked while she continued rinsing his head and shoulders.

"It's… Sean," he replied after a moment of silence. He had forgotten his human name and remembering it cost him a small effort.

"Sean, huh? I like it," she said smiling. "My name is Stella… like a star, you know."

"A star?" he repeated.

"Yes. Do you like stars?"

"Yes… I suppose…" he responded. He had to be careful. He was aware that his way of speaking and his ignorance of the most basic habits of the human kind could make her suspect of him, but it was so difficult to behave logically when humans were such disorganized creatures… He just didn't know what was correct and what was not.

"I don't know much about stars," she said with a sad tone in her voice. "I didn't finish high school… but I think that just because they are still out there no matter how ugly things get down here, gives me hope."

Hope? Stars had always been a part of Starscream's life, not to mention he was named after them. He used to look at them too, long before his interests focused on much more important matters, consigning to oblivion the beauty of the cosmic scenery.

She finished rinsing his hair, gently rubbing his shoulders and back to eliminate the excess of water.

"Now stand up, sugar," Stella continued. "We are almost done."

He obeyed, trying to ignore the humiliation of feeling so exposed again. It didn't escape his attention how she eyed his naked body coming out of the water. Her glance gave special attention to his intimate organs, that were dripping water.

He leaned on the wall as she started to gently rub his legs with the washcloath.

"You are in excellent shape, Sean… I bet you are an athlete, right?"

"Athlete?" he repeated, confused.

"Yes. Look at these biceps… and your abdomen is so hard… Let me guess. Beach volleyball?"

His confused expression spoke for itself.

"No?" she continued. "Surfer? Lifeguard? Well, it must have something to do with the beach. You have such an amazing tan…"

Starscream frowned. The human talked too much, made him feel dizzy… But he wouldn't have had problems standing her rambling if she had kept her hands away from him as she talked. But her fingers were so invading, curious…

"Oh, I know!" she said happily. "You are a model, right? It's obvious you take a lot of care of your body. I can picture you in one of those Calvin Klein underwear commercials."

_Model? Calvin what? _What the slag was that human talking about?

"And what were you doing in the middle of the storm?" she continued asking as she washed his thighs. "I bet your prom ended up being a mess… or perhaps your wedding?"

"Wedding? Why do you say that?" he asked, his confusion growing. First she had mentioned the prom thing, whatever it was, as the men who attacked him before had done as well. But it was the mention of the word 'wedding' that made him grimace.

"Well, you were wearing a tuxedo… although you had no shirt or shoes. Usually men get married in a tuxedo, sugar."

Starscream had read something about the humans' bonding rituals. It seemed that they liked to legalize their intimate relationships with their mates. Personally, he believed it was a very ridiculous habit.

"No!" he hurried to reply. "I have nothing to do with those rituals…"

He cut his words with a gasp when he felt the washcloth working on his intimate parts. He flinched by instinct, the sudden invasion to his intimacy taking him by surprise.

"Oh, I'm sorry…" she apologized. "Did I hurt you?"

"N-no…"

She smiled, certainly noticing once again how ashamed he was. Starscream couldn't have hated himself more. Why was being naked in front of that female embarrassing him so much?

"It's OK," she tried to tranquilize him. "We are almost done anyway. Turn around."

Starscream did what he was told and leaned his forehead on the wall. Turning his back to her didn't bring any relief. He could feel her glance fixated on him, scrutinizing every detail of his body.

It was unconceivable… He was disgusted with his own body, but the female had nothing but praises for his appearance. Everything was so confusing, so new… the brain he had instead of a processor was sending him erratic signs, every one more ambiguous than the previous one.

Starscream definitely knew something was malfunctioning inside of him when he felt her hands gently washing the back part of his body.

"You have a great ass…" she said in low voice.

Starscream blushed. He didn't have to know the meaning of that word to understand what she meant. Her touch explained it perfectly.

And she didn't stop. Starscream felt the muscles of what she had called his "ass" tightening when her hand got between his legs, softly rubbing his inner thighs, grazing again his dangling intimate circuitry…

A sudden heat surpassed the pleasant warmth of the cleaning room. Starscream felt it as clear as a bite, all its energy focused in his crotch… He wasn't so naïve as to ignore that certain structural functions were quite similar between races as different as the Cybertronian and the human, but he forced himself to regain control before a physical manifestation of his weakness was displayed.

He placed both hands on the wall and slightly pushed his body away.

"Are you finished?" he asked, trying to make his voice sound as indifferent as possible.

"Yes… I just need to finish rinsing you."

Starscream slightly bowed his head and took a discreet look downwards. He still felt a considerable amount of energy flowing around his inseam, but it seemed that he had managed to control himself. If his new organic intimacy behaved in a similar way to his Cybetronian intimate circuits, he couldn't allow himself the humiliation of letting it react before the touch of a human.

Water finally stopped falling over his body. Starscream tried to breathe deeply and to calm his frenetic heart.

He looked over his shoulder and saw the femme reaching for something like a chamois for cleaning weapons. So that was a towel. A new feeling of comfort was added to his human experience when she wrapped him with it and gently started to dry him.

"Do you feel better? At least you stopped shivering… Come on, let's get you back to bed."

Starscream allowed her to embrace him by the waist and helped him to walk back to the room. He actually felt much better. Apparently the bath and the ingestion of the pill were fighting his virus properly. He relaxed when he realized the danger of termination had been eradicated.

And all thanks to that femme.

Starscream felt frustrated. He rejected the uncomfortable and foreign feeling that started to take shape somewhere inside of him. Gratitude wasn't worthy of a Decepticon.

-----------------

Starscream sat on the bed as Stella rubbed his hair with the towel. Thin rays of light coming from the street filtered through the window's blinds, softly illuminating the scene.

Outside, the storm had lessened. The furious attack of the water had turned into a bearable and somehow hypnotic dripping. In the distance, human vehicles could be heard passing by every now and then, rolling over the puddles of water.

Stella gave a last shake to Starscream's hair before touching his forehead with her hand again.

"Mmmh…" she said. "I'm no doctor, but I think your fever is decreasing… How weird… I never saw a fever healing so fast…"

Starscream didn't reply, too disturbed by everything that had happened so far. It was shameful to feel comfortable under that femme's cares. She had to be very different from her kind to actually be able to cause such inner conflicts in him.

"Why are you helping me?" he finally asked, unable to contain his curiosity anymore.

"You are sick, and you looked so helpless…" she answered as she dried his shoulders and torso with extreme delicacy. "I wasn't going to leave you there to die."

_Great… now a human pities me…_ he thought.

"I suppose you are expecting something in exchange for your help," he said seriously.

She smiled and shook her head slightly. "No, sugar… nothing at all… Now lay down as I finish drying you. You must be exhausted."

It was a relief to rest his head on the soft pillow again. Starscream closed his eyes, lulled to sleep by the soft massage of the towel over the upper part of his body.

"Do you feel better?" he heard her asking.

Starscream decided to ignore her and try to enter recharge mode, but a graze over the most conflicted part of his body made him open his eyes again.

Stella had dropped the towel. Her bare hands were on his thighs, softly massaging them.

She stared at him and smiled. Despite the low lights, he could clearly see her shinning glance, her mischievous smirk…

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Stella paused when she heard a groan escape Sean's lips. His pained grimace seemed to speak a thousand words; her sensual touch wasn't winning him over, his green eyes reflecting his discomfort and shame...but most of all his exhaustion.

She sat back and looked down at her companion, his eyes slowly closing as her hands drifted towards his knees before retreating to her own lap. Despite the fact that his fever seemed to have lessened, he still looked pale. The growing bruises on his right cheek and torso didn't escape Stella's attention either.

"What happened to you, sugar?" she said, running her fingers over Sean's arm.

"None of your slagging business," Sean replied, his voice barely above a whisper.

_Slagging?_ An interesting choice of words, but his response didn't surprise her; the poor thing must have had a disaster of a night, no wonder he didn't want to talk about it.

"Those bruises look painful... Were you in a fight or something?"

"What do you think?"

"You know, sugar, this will probably sound stupid seeing as how we've only just got you warmed up, but you should really put some ice on those."

Sean opened his eyes, casting her a dark glare.

"Come on, you'll only have to put up with it for ten minutes," she continued. "It will make you feel better, I promise."

Two well-placed pats on Sean's thigh and Stella stood from the bed, making her way over to the kitchen area. She couldn't help but glance over her shoulder every now and then as she busied herself.

It was odd to see a stranger in her own bed. Although many would question her morality and judgement, there were certain rules and standards even a woman like herself maintained; 'never bring home a client' was one of them.

But there was something different about that young man resting silently before her, he seemed so troubled and alone and for some reason, it clawed at her bitter heart.

Carefully, Stella sat down on the edge of the bed, the fingers of her right hand caressing Sean's forehead soothingly. Leaning her back against the bed head, she pulled him closer so that his head might rest against her chest; she was honestly surprised to find he didn't fight her. Perhaps he was simply too weak to try, his eyes remaining shut.

Stella knew what it was to be alone on the streets; lost with no one to guide her. She couldn't count how many times she had ended up bloodied and broken in the gutter, or drugged out of her mind, the result of some overzealous lover. And all those times she had crawled like a wounded dog through the darkness, not once had someone stopped to help her. Who would care about a filthy prostitute, anyway?

A smile coloured Stella's lips as she looked down the length of Sean's muscular body. It seemed, for once, she had found a keeper... It was a shame to think that when dawn came he would be gone, taking that toned abdomen and delicious masculinity with him.

She pressed a bag of ice gently against Sean's torso, causing him to wince slightly. Perhaps karma would be more forgiving than chance had been.

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Stella wasn't sure how much time had passed, all she knew was that at some point Sean had fallen asleep in her arms, and that the bags of ice she had been holding to his flesh were now slowly-leaking bags of water.

A fine trail of liquid made it's way down Sean's abdomen and began to drip slowly onto the bed, dampening the sheets. For a moment, Stella thought about staying where she was, allowing her imagination to run wild with the childish fantasy of having a real lover, but the sudden shudder of Sean's body brought her back to reality. He was cold again.

Stella placed Sean to the side and got up slowly, it seemed one of her legs had gone slightly numb from being in the same position for too long. Regretfully, she pulled the bedspread over him and placed a pillow under his head; he cuddled into it immediately.

"Sleep tight, sugar," she intoned, pressing a hand against his forehead again. She hadn't been wrong in her earlier assessment, his fever was definitely improving.

The bags of water landed in the sink with a splashing thud; now that her company was sleeping, she wasn't so sure what to do with herself. Stella's eyes shifted from Sean's still form to his discarded tuxedo.

Her red-nailed fingers were lost within the sodden fabric of his clothing before Stella even realised what she was doing. It had become an almost common practice; on those nights when she was paid to stay, when the only form of redemption was in the form of additional 'unseen' charges.

But that night there was something different driving her, something that could perhaps have been considered genuine curiosity had the intent to see how much money he carried not also been on her agenda. Slowly, Stella turned out the pockets of his torn pants. She had expected to find a wallet, perhaps some keys or a cell phone, even some loose change...but they were completely empty. Surprised, she turned her attention to his jacket, only to find exactly the same thing.

Nothing.

The slightest feeling of disappointment filled her; it seemed she was destined to spend another night waiting on her corner if she was to keep her apartment. But that feeling was mixed with something else...pity perhaps...he must have been mugged or something.

Carefully, Stella returned the pocket lining to it's proper place before shaking out the garment and hanging it over the handle of the bathroom door; his trousers received a similar treatment, placed over the door itself. It seemed a shame to see such classy, expensive clothing so dirtied and torn, but even in their current state they had made their owner look so handsome... so totally out of her reach.

Her eyes fell on Sean's sleeping form again. He was frowning slightly, dreaming perhaps, but otherwise seemed peacefully at rest. The scar above his right eye caught her attention, it looked as if it had been there for years; Stella couldn't help but wonder how he had been blessed with it. In her mind, it was a tasty addition to a body that was already shamelessly attractive.

Stella's gaze shifted downwards, towards the muscular arm that had suddenly appeared from underneath the bedclothes. She wondered what it would be like to be held by that arm, not in the embrace of a client but that of a lover. A warm, delicious lover...

Suddenly, she couldn't resist the temptation of taking a peek at his body again. She knew it was wrong, that she should leave him to rest and recover; but the line between right and wrong had been blurred so long ago, what did it matter if she crossed it again?

Slowly, Stella approached the bed. Her hand hesitated over Sean's body before her fingers finally succumbed to desire and carefully lifted up the blanket covering his stomach, his arm preventing access to his chest.

Not that that mattered...

A smile curved the woman's lips.

She hadn't been lying when she had told him she'd seen it all; old men, young men; of all builds, shades, shapes and sizes... But it was rare, _incredibly rare_, to find a man she felt a natural attraction to, one with such perfectly toned abs, strong arms...perfect dimensions... Hungry fingers drifted forward, seeking that muscular body.

A faint murmuring pulled Stella from her thoughts, her fingers retreating. She glanced at his face, scared she had been discovered, but to her relief he was still sleeping. As she watched him he murmured again, his body twisting under the blankets.

"Mmmh...no..." Sean muttered, one of his arms reaching out as if to protect himself.

Stella stepped back, surprised. Perhaps he was reliving the night's events.

Sean rolled over onto his back, arm swiping at an invisible spectre. Stella watched his body tense as he seemed to become more and more distressed, his movements becoming something of an agitated dance as the minutes slowly ticked by.

"Nnn...no, don't..." he called out; Stella couldn't stop herself from approaching him again.

"Shhh, honey, it's ok," she cooed softly as she began to caress his face. It was obvious now he was having a nightmare.

Sean continued to flail, lashing out viciously at unknown enemies. Stella ran her fingers through his hair, sweat was beginning to bead on his forehead again.

"Sean... Sean, wake up, honey," she said, shaking his body slightly. "Sean?"

Not getting any reaction, Stella shook him harder. If he continued like this she was certain he would hurt himself, that or he'd wake up so terrified he'd end up hurting her instead. Still, he didn't respond.

She tapped him on the face, softly at first, and then a little harder.

Nothing.

The display before her was beginning to scare her, it wasn't right seeing such a gorgeous young man squirming like a terrified child. Stella shook him again, speaking words of comfort as she did so. She needed to calm him; wake him if possible...

And then an idea hit her. There was only one sure-fire way to subdue a male, be they angry, distraught...or terrified...

Stella couldn't help but smirk as her left hand continued to stroke Sean's hair, her left sneaking slowly under the bedclothes...

_To be continued._

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_Next chapter is almost done, so expect a fast update. Thank you so much for all your support and reviews :o)  
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	15. Sweet Surrender

_We have been overwhelmed by your continued support recently and so, as a special treat, we have updated both of our fics today. Please make sure you take the time to read them as we are reaching critical points in both of them. We're running ahead of schedule at the moment, so you can expect quick updates again, but in the mean time, we really hope you enjoy!_

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**Chapter 14**

**Sweet Surrender**

Starscream's green eyes snapped open the second he felt the human's touch.

He could see her arm, lost between the sheets as her fingers, soft and warm, grazed his masculinity like a gentle breeze.

Confusion filled him as he attempted to clear his thoughts; perhaps he was still dreaming, the nightmare about to end just as all the others had, ready to make way for a new one. But as Stella's gaze met his own and a smile grew upon her face, Starscream realised he was no longer in recharge.

Another graze and he was sure. One astro klik before he was falling into despair, doomed by that accursed well, and now he was the pleasure toy of a disgusting flesh being. This was his reality, his nightmare come true.

"Whh...what the slag?" he muttered as he clambered backwards, throwing the bedclothes off himself to expose his violated nudity.

"Shhh, relax honey," Stella cooed as she withdrew her hand and began to caress his thigh. "You were having a nightmare, but it's over now...you're safe..."

"Get your filthy hands off me... I may have the strength of a worm now, but I can still crush you like an insect."

"Take it easy, I'm not gonna hurt you," Stella said gently, pulling her hands away from him. "But I had to wake you, you were terribly distressed and you probably would have hurt yourself had you kept going on the way you were. Are you feeling ok?"

Starscream regarded the female with a scowl on his face, his back pressed firmly against the headboard and his knees drawn to his chest. "Oh, I feel fantastic," he said spitefully.

"I'm really sorry I startled you like that," she continued, ignoring his ire. "Would you like me to get you anything, a glass of milk or something to eat?"

"No."

The pair sat in silence for a moment, Starscream glaring at the femme while she smiled back. Her presence revolted the ex-Seeker, but the sound of the rain outside and the pain still in his muscles reminded him that for the time being, her dwelling was the only suitable option.

"You should try to rest, then," she spoke again, edging closer.

Starscream backed further away. The situation was so new to him. Usually it was he who was the predator, not the prey... Weakness had never felt so tangible as it did in that moment.

"Come on, honey, I promise you you'll feel better in the morning. Trust me, you just need to relax," Stella said, placing her hands on his body to guide him.

And her hands were so soft... How he could tolerate the touch of something he despised so much was beyond his understanding. Once again he was sure that the Well of Transformation had messed with his mental patterns as much as it had done with his structure. He wondered how much damage his personality had suffered... Was he still himself? Why wasn't he getting rid of that human femme as he should be? Killing her and taking over her dwelling, that was the procedure to follow. Was weakness and sickness the only reason he was violating his Decepticon code, the one he was so proud to follow?

The Decepticon slithered slowly down the bed, unsure of what to expect. As he lay back and felt his head touch the pillow, his hand reached for the blanket beneath him, but the female pulled it from his grip.

"Just wait a moment, sugar," she crooned as her fingers began to gently massage his shoulders.

As much as he wanted to fight it, Starscream couldn't help but find the human's touch minutely pleasant. He could feel her slowly working the knots from his tired muscles, allowing him a welcome reprieve, and it wasn't long before the fog of drowsiness returned to his system.

Starscream closed his eyes.

He felt the human's touch drift to his right arm; he refused to admit to himself that he was enjoying it, yet he didn't stop her as she shifted her attention to his left arm.

A few minutes more and she was caressing his chest... And then suddenly, one of her hands moved downwards.

"N...no..." he mumbled tiredly, still on the brink of unconsciousness.

The hand immediately retreated, caressing his abdomen. The female was making her intentions clear.

And then, it happened again. One of her hands headed toward the part of his body he didn't dare to look at. Her index finger touched his skin again, softly travelling along Starscream's intimacy from its base to its tip.

Thoughts rolled over themselves inside his head with disorganized violence, just as the wave of energy assaulting his groin.

Stella continued her fleeting caresses, grazing, touching… it took only one of her fingers to make the mighty Starscream feel unable to move.

"W-what…?" he stammered, trying to voice the small amount of logic he had at that moment. He had been with countless femmes before; pleasure had never been a stranger. But that femme was a human… _a human… _interfacing with a human was out of the question. It wouldn't have been natural… it would have been perverted. He was a Cybertronian, a Decepticon… Organic beings were far too inferior to even be considered as pleasure providers.

Her hand closed around his penis, making him tighten all his body in response. An involuntary moan escaped from his throat.

He was a prisoner… a prisoner of her hand.

"What you have dangling between your legs…" she whispered, approaching her face to his, "is a piece of paradise itself…"

Starscream closed his eyes and frowned, his mouth half open, beginning to fall under her spell. That human knew what she was doing… she knew perfectly. Her hand stroked, rubbed, pulled… In that moment, nothing else existed but her and her touch.

"You are so tense," she continued, caressing his toned abdomen with her free hand. "Relax, sugar… I can make you feel good… _very good…"_

Her face was so close that Starscream could feel her warmth. Her mouth grazed his nose and looked for his forehead.

A new sort of short circuit attacked him when her lips barely touched his right eyebrow, fixating on his scar with disturbing tenderness.

_A kiss…_

Starscream would have liked to reject her but he couldn't. She was all over him, overwhelming him… Her softness was very disturbing. He had always made fun of feelings that he considered insults to the intelligence of a superior being such as him. Such feelings were not worthy of a Decepticon warrior, not worthy of him… But being on the receiving side of said softness was proving to be an experience as pleasant as it was shameful.

She continued kissing his eyebrow, whilst her hand continued to stroke his intimacy. He was under her control… so much that it scared him.

What was next? Resisting… or giving up to weakness? His primary instincts were fighting to overcome the heavy burden of prejudices that had him paralysed. It was so difficult to think with logic, extremely difficult… What was happening to him? If he crossed that line, perhaps there wouldn't be a way back.

His humanity had to be controlled.

"No…" he said, turning his head aside and grabbing the femme's hand, moving it away from his genitals. "Stay away from me, femme."

Stella's face reflected her confusion for a moment, but it was obvious she wasn't used to giving up that easily. Before Starscream could do anything to avoid it, her lips found him again, this time targeting his mouth.

The kiss took him completely by surprise. Her hands grabbed his head as her lips softly began to suck his, opening them.

It was so different… so new. There were no circuits inside her mouth, no special sensors to transmit energy flows. What was inside was a soft and humid tongue that made her way into his mouth, caressing, licking… looking to trespass the feeble walls of his resistance.

Starscream knew that kiss was too invasive. He had to feel disgusted; he had to stop that femme right in that moment and kill her for her audacity.

But he couldn't… As invasive as it was, the kiss was also highly pleasant. He closed his eyes and surrendered. He allowed the human to remain attached to his mouth, free to do whatever she wanted with him.

But she broke the kiss, separating from him. Starscream opened his eyes. He raised his head slightly, unconsciously waiting for more.

Stella smiled, reading the confusion on his face but also reading his desire. She stood up and slowly took off the small extension of textile that covered her shoulders and chest. The lights coming from outside illuminated her skin, her breasts barely covered by some sort of shinning cloth.

Starscream felt heat returning to his head. But it wasn't fever this time…

Stella directed her hands toward her back and the shinning cloth fell to her feet. Two big and firm breasts were exposed, capturing the complete attention of the Decepticon, who stared in fascination what was before his eyes. He knew there was no spark chamber inside her chest, thus nothing that could arouse him… but what was there instead was intriguing… and beautiful too, in its very exotic way.

Stella smirked, noticing the good impression her body was producing. And she wouldn't keep him waiting. The next victim to fall was her short skirt. Long and well shaped legs were uncovered, proudly presenting themselves before the humanized Seeker.

A small and suggestive cloth covering her crotch was all that separated her from complete nudity. Unconsciously, Starscream tried to activate his infrared vision. He had to see beyond… _he needed to_… he had to trespass that thin textile… he had to have her as nude as he was.

Once again, Stella could read him. With sensual and slow movements, she slid that last piece of clothing down and showed all her splendor to the astonished Decepticon.

Starscream gaped. He knew the structural differences between human males and females, but when he saw Stella naked, all the cold scientific knowledge on the matter disappeared in an astro second and all he could see was a beautiful naked femme… disturbing but beautiful. Pronounced curves emphasized her hips and highlighted her intimacy, so different from his… Starscream found that difference fascinating.

Stella sat on the bed, attracting Starscream toward her with the weight of her body. Her smell arrived at his nose; her natural scent was intoxicating.

It was too much… Starscream couldn't hold it anymore.

"Slag…" he muttered as he felt the lower part of his body aching.

Stella leaned on him and started to caress his chest.

"Do you like what you see, Sean?" she asked in a very low voice. "Because I do… I love what I see when I see you… it makes me wet…"

From his chest, her hand lowered to his abdomen… and continued going down. He closed his eyes, waiting for her hand to continue descending over his body, waiting for her to release him.

He felt her stroking his genitals again, embarrassment and fear slowly being relegated by the waves of pleasure coursing through his body.

"See, it's not so bad, is it honey?" Stella purred, pressing her now naked body on his shoulder. "All you have to do is relax, and I will make you feel like the Adonis you really are..."

Every second that passed, one defeat more for Starscream... but for some reason that didn't bother him. How could he give importance to conscience when her skin over his felt so good?

Her right hand made its way to his head, her fingers twisting about his hair, as her left continued to rub his groin hungrily. Stella's mouth began to work over his neck, her soft lips kissing him passionately; licking and sucking every inch of his flesh.

Starscream felt his body tensing; not in sickness or in fear, but pleasure... How was it possible that a human could invoke such a feeling within him? How could an insignificant flesh creature bring such gratification to him, the mighty Starscream, tyrant of the firmament...?

A moan of pleasure escaped his lips, his body shaking involuntarily. What did it matter if she was human? So was he, after all...

A smile curled Stella's lips as his masculinity began to erect in her hand, the last of his barriers collapsing in the face of primal instinct.

"You are truly a gift to women," Stella told him as she straddled him, her hands resting either side of his strong shoulders, her knees embracing his hips.

Starscream looked down at her voluptuous breasts, hovering over his body, grazing his chest as she moved sensuously above him; teasing him.

"And you deserve to be fucked..." she cooed into his ear, "fucked like a god..."

A murmur of approval made itself heard; this human knew how to talk to him... knew how to turn him on...

Indescribable pleasure filled him as she lowered herself onto his erect masculinity, pulling him into the most intimate of embraces.

An overwhelming heat took over his body as she began to ride him; he could feel himself moving within her as she rocked back and forth slowly on top of him, pleasure growing with every one of her thrusts.

Stella sat up, her nails dragging hungrily over his chest as she did so. Starscream felt his pleasure increase as he watched her lean back, eyes closed, lips parted; breasts bouncing playfully, begging for his touch...

Any sense of uncertainty vanished as instinct kicked in, his body no longer able to remain motionless. His hands grabbed her chest, his fingers caressing her soft skin, touching her nipples; eagerly exploring that foreign body with increasing hunger.

Stella moaned passionately as Starscream's hands made their way to her waist, claiming her body with every caress.

What did it matter, in the end, that he was human? One thing would always remain the same; he was Starscream, the master of pleasure, god to all females, Cybertronian or otherwise.

Stella let out a yelp of excitement as Starscream pulled their bodies together, rolling her over to take his place on top of her, his lips devouring her mouth hungrily...

_To be continued._

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_Perhaps a cold shower would come in handy ;o) Update coming really really soon._


	16. Bed and Breakfast

_Thank you so much for all your reviews. We are very happy for the warm reception you are giving this story. We were kind of surprised that some of you mentioned that a rape took place during last chapter. Honestly we didn't see any rape there, just one human making a move on a Transformer-turned-human who barely knew how his body could react. We decided to include that scene because Starscream needed some relief; he had been under a lot of pressure and stress, and continuing on that path would have driven him to insanity. And also, to be honest, we included it for fun. Proper warnings were given at the beginning of this story about some adult material being included in some chapters, all of them not random but actually important to the plot. We have nothing much to say about that matter because we really don't make a big deal of it. A sex scene is just as any other scene, all pieces of the scenario that will click together as the story progresses. We hope you will continue enjoying it._

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**Chapter 15 **

**Bed and Breakfast**

Comfort was the first thing his numb organic brain reasoned as soon as it was aware of his existence once again. The feeling was there, beyond his consciousness, like a new discovery and at the same time like a relief from all the stress and misery of the last few cycles. He was still trapped inside a human body, but for the first time since his drastic transformation, his immediate future didn't seem like a dark crypt anymore.

Another fast flash of consciousness deepened the sensation of welfare. He realized he was still covered by warm fabrics, his weight comfortably supported by the recharge berth, his head half sunken in the pillow… Perhaps his conditions weren't perfect, but his first night in the human jungle could have ended much worse.

His eyes finally opened and his sight was received by the tranquil light of the afternoon that entered through the blinds of the window. The first thing he saw was a small table beside the bed, very primitive in its design but it effectively fulfilled its function of supporting some magazines and other small objects that he didn't recognize.

Another element added itself to his sensation of peace. It came through his nose, confirming in his mind that humans were organic computers, always receiving information despite their inferior composition.

Of course he couldn't detect the origin of the smell, but something inside his mouth reacted favorably toward it because he suddenly felt some sort of pleasant wetness. He would have liked to have had his advanced olfactory sensors to decode the smell, but he didn't need them to decide he liked it.

He turned around and looked to the other side of the bed, enjoying the fact that he could lean on his sides, something he hadn't been able to do since his first cycles of life because of his wings.

The place he was in was smaller than he remembered, but the night before he had entered there in such a confused state that it was logical that he hadn't registered the dimensions of what had become his first human shelter. Four whitish walls formed the dwelling of his improvised saviour. Besides the bed, there was a big couch in front of a monitor, a small table, some objects that looked like decoration and two closed doors. Behind the first one was the cleaning room, he could remember that perfectly. The second one, however, was an enigma.

He sat on the bed and leaned his back on the headboard. He was feeling better, much better in fact. It seemed that the human sickness had retreated and, despite still feeling weak, he could have said his status was perfectly functional. Besides, his stomach had no signals of the beating he had received and hopefully neither did his face. The bags of ice had worked then, just as the human femme had said…

Returning his thoughts to her brought him a wave of bittersweet feelings. He wasn't sure where on his scale of values he could place what had happened with that female the night before. Now that he was in a normal state of mind, his first reaction was shame. He had descended very low when he had interfaced with that human creature, the dishonor even bigger if he considered that it had happened three times…

Maybe he had needed relief, something to release all the stress that had piled up inside him like a poison, maybe he had even reacted by instinct, guided by his new body… But how could he explain the pleasure he had felt? How could he explain that, after his first overload, he continued exploring the body of that stranger and, even worse, allowed her to do whatever she had wanted with him?

But shame was not enough to silence the pleasant peace that he was feeling between his legs. His frown was directed toward such place of his body, still covered by the bedspread.

"It's all your fault, you slagger…" he whispered, immediately feeling like a complete idiot for addressing his intimate parts that way.

The second door opened at that moment, startling him. The agreeable smell from before became stronger, caressing his nose, as the infamous human female appeared under the threshold.

"Hello and good morning sugar, although I should say good afternoon, it's past 3 now. How did you sleep?"

Starscream frowned. If at least that femme could keep her mouth shut, perhaps he could tolerate her, but she talked too much.

"Not as bad as I expected," he responded. "What is that smell?"

"Just your breakfast, although because of the hour it should be your lunch. When was the last time you ate?"

"Never," he growled as he got up from the bed and approached the window beside it. He opened the yellow curtains and lifted the blinds, allowing the light to enter at will.

Rain was still falling, although very lightly. Outside, the empty streets of the night before were no more. Life and movement had taken over, portrayed by dozens of humans that crossed each other's paths like ants. There were vehicles circulating too, some of them resembling the forms some Autobots had chosen as their alternate modes for that filthy planet.

Hands closed around his waist and he was pulled backwards slightly.

"Whoa honey, if you're going to stand before the window like that at least put on a towel or something. I have neighbors, you know," the femme said, laughing.

Starscream separated from her and looked to the street again. They were on the third level, not very elevated from the ground but the sensation of some height relieved him somewhat.

"You should keep the window open. It's too slagging enclosed in here," he snarled.

"I always close it when it rains, but it's nice today, so I agree with you," she said, securing the window with a small mechanism on the top to keep it open and letting the curtains fall over it. Starscream decided that those horrendous pieces of yellow fabric would provide privacy, so his claustrophobia didn't condemn them as it did in the beginning.

She turned to him again, exposing that smile of hers that was so disturbing. Starscream could sense kindness in that creature, and usually he distrusted anything related to kindness. According to his experience, it always involved hypocrisy and demagogy, some of the pests he despised the most.

Stella stepped back suddenly, her eyes fixed on his torso.

"Oh my..." she whispered, her invasive fingers slowly reaching out towards him.

"What?" he replied, uncomfortable under her abrupt scrutiny.

"Your bruises... They should be blacker than soot right now and instead... Instead they're gone!!"

Starscream looked down at his torso as the female touched him softly.

"Yeah, so?" he spat, taking a step back. The femme shouldn't have been surprised, she was the one that had told him the ice would help after all.

"What do ya mean 'yeah so'!? It's one thing for your fever to have disappeared, but your bruises? Sugar, I've seen a lot of bruises in my time and I've never seen one fade over night before!"

Stella's fingers grazed his cheek, her astonishment clear on her face. "I would have expected you to have a black eye too..."

Starscream felt a wave of relief rush through his body when he realised his face was undamaged. Perhaps in his current predicament he should have been worried about other things; infiltrating the Autobot base, finding a permanent shelter, procuring human fuel...getting rid of that annoying female... But it seemed there were some aspects of his Seeker arrogance that would not lie down easily.

His attention snapped back to reality; the human femme was still touching his face.

"Stop touching me," he said irritably, turning his face away.

"Sorry honey, I guess you must still be sore, despite the lack of bruising."

"Ahh, yeah..."

Starscream didn't understand why the human continued to stare at him like he was some kind of freak. As far as he was concerned his body, and perhaps the substance known as Tylenol, had done its job repairing the damage caused by those brainless human males – was she insinuating that his recovery was something beyond the normal limits of a human?

Great, another oddity to give him away. The ex-Seeker cursed his benevolent leader, if only he had been given more time to learn about his new form before being thrown into the humans' nest he might have realised there was something different about his body. Now not only did he have to watch his language and behaviour, he had to watch his healing too.

"Mmmh…" she whispered, looking downwards at him. "Seems like you had a rested night indeed."

Starscream followed her glance and couldn't help but startle. "What the…?! Why is that thing hard again?"

He was so ashamed that he didn't notice the curious way in which she looked at him. He wasn't aroused in that particular moment, so why was his intimate circuitry reacting that way? It was humiliating.

"_That thing?_" she repeated his words. "Interesting choice of words you have, Sean… But hey, you're not gonna tell me you haven't had a morning wood before, right?"

Starscream looked at her again, realizing he had made some ridiculous mistake. "A morning… er yes, of course I have. I was just… oh blast, just forget it."

"Honey, do you feel okay? Maybe you still have fever."

Starscream turned around before she could touch his forehead. For a moment he considered giving that morning wood, or whatever its name was, some use and throwing that human to the bed, but he decided not to degrade himself again and to instead focus on his mission. Once he recovered his true form, the first thing he would do – after killing Astrotrain, the Coneheads and the Insecticons of course – would be visiting a pleasure house on Cybertron and interfacing with a _real _femme. Perhaps it would take many of them to erase all the stench of his recent intimate contact with that human specimen.

"My status is normal," he said seriously. "Now where is this breakfast, lunch or whatever you were talking about?"

She took his hand. "In the kitchen, come with me."

He allowed her to guide him. The only closed door of the small quarters was about to be revealed; the refuel room. Despite his arrogance, he was curious of how different it would be from what he was used to.

It was not the differences, but the disorder of the room that annoyed him. Many small objects were spread through the room. He didn't have any idea of what most of them were, but the lack of logic in their distribution was enough to make him feel uncomfortable. But that refuel room only followed the logic of the rest of the dwelling, after all. Diverse and colorful objects everywhere, most of them useless, he was sure.

She made him sit on a chair before a small table under a little window. On the surface of the table was something he could recognize, milk. He took the glass without waiting for an invitation and started to drink the white fuel.

"The waffles got kind of cold…" he heard her talking behind him. "Let me warm them a little. You'll find strawberry jam beside the napkins."

The sight of the red thing that resembled grease inside a small glass container wasn't attractive. That reminded him that he didn't have any idea of what the slag that human was going to use to refuel him.

"Fuck…" she spoke again. "What a great timing for the toaster to break down… Sorry sugar, but I think you'll have to eat your waffles tepid."

Starscream looked over his shoulder and watched the femme struggling with some little metallic device with a lever on the side. He got up and took the device from her hands.

Toaster, she had called it. It took a very quick glance for Starscream to realize how simple the mechanism was, electromechanical instead of computerized. With such primitive technology, it was no wonder why the humans were slaves instead of conquerors.

He pulled out the plug of the machine, took a nearby knife and removed the screws from the bottom. For a moment he felt like when he was a sparkling and was playing with science for the first time. But even during his early cycles as an enthusiastic future scientist, he had never dealt with a mechanism as simple as that human toaster.

But anyway, he found the activity enjoyable. Being in contact with the metallic glitch made him feel more comfortable. Perhaps he could repair more of the dysfunctional machines the femme owned. He wondered how stupid he would look if he asked her.

She was watching him in silent awe, which he appreciated. But her silence only increased the sensation of her smell, which arrived freely at Starscream's nose. He frowned as he pulled the knob off the carriage lever. He suddenly remembered the night before so clearly, when he had had that smell all over him, when his lips couldn't abandon hers and all he cared about was losing himself inside of her…

A wave of heat between his legs sent him a warning, but he forced himself to remain calm. His morning wood had already disappeared but it was threatening to come back at any second. Control had never been his most notorious asset, but he managed to keep the slagging piece of hanging flesh in peace.

Slag, how he hated being a human…

"The electric contacts are not touching," he said with the most serious voice he could muster as he adjusted the detected malfunction, trying not to feel so attacked by the thin fabric that barely covered the body of the femme.

"You make it sound so easy, Sean." Her playful voice was definitely not helping.

He cleared his throat. "Because it is. All I have to do is bend this a little, so when the carriage lever depresses it will actually apply pressure."

"I could've never guessed… I have had this toaster for ten years and it's the first time it's given me problems."

Starscream reassembled the toaster and returned the plug to the electric socket on the wall. "Test it. It should work now," he said disdainfully as he returned to his chair.

"Wow…" she said, honestly surprised. "Are you some kind of electrician?"

"You could say so."

Starscream felt her approaching from behind and it took only an astro klik for her two hands to reach his shoulders.

"Do you have any idea of how sexy you look fixing things naked in my kitchen, Sean?"

Frag… there it was… her warmth again… he could feel it spreading through his nape and his bare back. The red transparent fabric that barely covered her was grazing his skin. That slagging body… the same body he had enjoyed so much just some breems ago.

The moment for rejecting her had arrived. Whatever had happened the night before had been some sort of bizarre experiment. He had to make things clear now. He had been trying to keep a low profile, but if he needed to use violence to show that human her place, then he…

He was received by her mouth the moment he turned his head aside. Although he had been taken by surprise, he responded immediately to the kiss, as if he had been waiting for it.

She leaned toward him without breaking the kiss, and he felt her hands going down, caressing his chest. They continued going down…

When she grasped his masculinity he realized the battle was lost. Every shred of self control he had managed to have until then, was sent to the pit. Stella's robe followed the same fate.

-------

The low light of the evening fell on Stella's nude back as she brought the small piece of waffle to Starscream's mouth. Half of the bed was already within the shadows.

"Mmmh… seems that it was written you would eat your waffles cold after all, Sean. Hope you don't mind."

"What…ever," he said, raising his head from the pillow slightly as he chewed the food, that surprisingly didn't taste bad at all.

A small portion of strawberry jam fell on his chest, slipping to his neck joint.

"Oh… let me clean that for you," she purred right before starting to lick it.

Starscream closed his eyes and put his hands under his head. He still was convinced that what was happening with that femme was wrong, but for some reason he didn't feel very bad about it anymore.

"Mmmmh… delicious…" he heard her saying. "The jam wasn't bad either."

He smirked, his mood improving considerably. He even allowed her to lean her head on his chest once she finished feeding him.

"Sean…" she said while caressing his chest. "You're not from around here, right?"

He opened his eyes. "Why do you say that?"

"I don't know… In the beginning I thought you were some drunk guy, but later… it's just that you looked so…"

"Sick?"

"I was going to say lost. What were you doing wondering around like that? And why were you wearing a tux?"

"Do you always ask so many questions?"

She laughed softly. "Nope… I'm just fooling around, don't pay attention to me."

"I don't plan to. Anyway, I should go now. Where are my clothes?"

"Totally ruined, I'm afraid. I washed them in the morning but I don't think you'll be able to wear your torn tuxedo again. Why don't you stay here tonight? I'll get you some decent clothes tomorrow."

"I can't. I have things to do."

"Please… night will fall soon and you are in no condition to leave yet. You're still recovering and I don't think it's a good idea that you go out. The weather report said there will be a storm during the night again."

"Femme, I already told you…"

"Stella."

"What?"

"Stella. My name is Stella, I told you last night, but you can call me Stel."

"Stel…"

"Much better."

"Alright, Stel, you have been of assistance to me, I admit it, but I can't afford to waste more time here."

"Why not?"

"None of your slagging business."

"Slagging? You said that last night too. You really talk in a funny way, sugar."

"And you're such an annoying female!"

She laughed. "Please don't get mad, Sean. It's just that you are so adorable… I can't help teasing you. But I mean it, you should stay. You can leave in the morning and do whatever you have to do. I promise I won't interrogate you anymore."

"Promise, huh?"

"Cross my heart."

Starscream sighed. He was sure he was dealing with an ordinary and uneducated human, but she was proving to be a hard femme to shut up.

"You're certainly aware that I can't pay you," he said, staring directly at her eyes.

"Yes, I had the feeling," she replied, caressing his cheek.

"Wouldn't you have to perform your function tonight? By the looks of your dwelling, credits are not your forte."

"You mean money? Ah, no… I don't have money to spare. I live by the day indeed, but I manage. I have some rough days, but I'm proud to say there has not been one single night where I have gone to sleep with hunger. Perhaps with cold, perhaps beaten to a pulp, but never with hunger."

"Have you always been a whore?" he asked bluntly.

"Well, not since birth!" she laughed. "But it's all I've been for the past seventeen years, so yeah, you could say that… I'll be thirty five next month, so half of my life I've been on the streets. Quite a time, huh?"

"If you say so. You obviously don't charge much for your services, judging by your dwelling."

Starscream thought about the femme bots on Cybertron that also sold pleasure. After the drastic decrease in the female population that the war had caused, their fees had increased considerably, but so had their clients. Being a Decepticon, he had used his right to make use of the femmes of the conquered city states, but when less and less femmes could be found during those victories, he had been forced to start using the services of the pleasure houses in Kaon. He wasn't proud of that, but in times of need, there were no limits he wasn't willing to cross if that meant obtaining intimate pleasure.

But even with that, not even in his weirdest fantasies had he believed he would be capable of crossing the human border. But now that he had, he was afraid he would become as addicted to it as he was to the robotic pleasure.

"I charge what I can, it all depends really," Stella said, running a finger up and down his chest.

"Depends on what?"

"Well, the client for a start. If he looks like he's rich, ya know, fancy car, nice clothes and all that, then I ask for more. Drunks also get charged more, and so do those old, dirty bastards that no one in their right mind would want to screw. They all get charged more. Studs like yourself, which are rare I must say, get a special discount."

"Why? Don't you want to make as much money as possible? You certainly need it."

"Everyone should get some enjoyment from their job at some point. Those studs are generally the only form of pleasure I get. If I charge them less than the average, but give them top class service, then perhaps they might come back for more."

"And do they? Come back, that is?"

"Generally not. Like most, they have a one-nighter and regret it the next day. I have a few usuals, but not many. Of course, the kind of service they want also dictates the price."

"So how much would you charge me then?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," Stella laughed. "Well you, honey, would get an extra special discount. You would get my services for free."

"Really? You're just saying that because you know I don't have any credits to give you."

"Well, maybe...but I did bring you home, that's not something I normally do. And I did that before I knew you couldn't pay me."

"So why don't you have a real job?" Starscream asked, knowing full well that the reason must have been her lack of intelligence.

"Ahh, it just worked out that way," Stella responded, suddenly uncomfortable. "But enough about me. What about you, Sean? How old are you? Twenty three, twenty four?"

"Twenty seven," he replied, remembering the age the computer had said his human body represented during Soundwave's analysis.

"Such a child…"

Child? Starscream wondered what Stella would say if she knew he was millions of years older than her.

"And what about your heart, sugar? Do you have a girlfriend… a boyfriend perhaps?"

"I thought you said you would stop interrogating me."

"You're right, sorry," she said, smiling. "I just can't help it. I love to talk."

"I noticed."

"Forgive me if I bother you… I'll keep my word about not questioning you… And I'll make you another promise too."

"Oh yes? And what would that be?"

"That I'll make every minute of your stay here a moment to remember. I'll give you so much pleasure that you will never want to leave."

He rolled over and positioned himself on top of her. "Oh, really?" he said, feeling the unmistakable sting of desire arousing between his legs. "We'll see about that, Stel…"

_To be continued._


	17. Welcome to the Jungle

_Tons of thanks to all of you. We are very happy thanks to the amazing reception this story has received. We will continue providing regular updates, honestly, writing this and our other joint fic, 'Cantabile', is a labour of love._

_Thanks again for joining us and we hope you will enjoy this update._

* * *

**Chapter 16**

**Welcome to the Jungle**

'_Hey Sean. _

_Gone out to get u some new clothes so don't go anywhere. Help urself to the food in the frige, theres cornflakes in the cupboard under the sink if ya don't want waffles. Oh, but i don't think theres any milk left, i'll get some on my way back if ya wanna wait._

_Stella.'_

Back against the headboard, Starscream screwed up the tattered piece of paper and turned it over in his hands, unsure of what to do with himself.

The sun was already half-way across the sky when he had woken, its golden rays peaking presumptuously through the crack between drawn curtains. Starscream had rolled over onto his side expecting to be greeted by the delicious scent of breakfast, or perhaps the sight of his human companion, but instead had only found the untidily written note addressed to him on the bedside table.

It annoyed him to think that the wretched female seemed to trust him; although humans weren't the most logical of creatures, he hadn't thought it would be too much to expect some level of apprehension in her behaviour. Indeed, she was nothing more than a worthless whore thus judgement couldn't be a strong suite in her, but still, she had left him alone in her own dwelling; surely even a whore like her would have some common sense.

But then again...

Starscream couldn't help but let a smirk cross his features as he thought of the many femmes back on Cybertron that had 'trusted' him; those that had begged him to bed them, those that had given him all they could before paying the ultimate price for their stupidity...

The sweet memories brought his mind back to reality. Starscream folded his arms behind his head, looking up at the stained ceiling. Perhaps a perverted, erotic death would solve a few problems; he'd be rid of that pathetic creature and would gain himself a place from which he could base his operations... Yes, it was certainly an option...

The balled-up note made its way across the room in a graceful arc, the movement of flight bringing a strange and unexpected pang of jealousy to the ex-Seeker. A sigh escaped his lips; although it went against his Decepticon instincts, Starscream knew he couldn't kill the human, not without drawing unwanted attention anyway.

He sat forward, separating himself from the squeaking headboard, the blue, scorched sheets cascading down his torso as he did so. Resting his elbows on his knees, he placed his head in his hands.

Part of him wanted to leave the female's dwelling immediately, leaving behind all trace of his continued weakness, his lack of self control. Yet another part – the more conservative part – wanted to stay.

The human may not have been rich, and she certainly wasn't overly intelligent judging by her poor use of the English language in her note, but she did seem willing to share her accommodations with him. And it now appeared that she was also willing to spend her limited credits on him as well.

Maybe there was some sense in keeping her alive, exploiting her...at least until he was able to infiltrate the Autobot base, anyway.

Starscream shook his head. He was an idiot; how could he have been so foolish as to get himself caught in such a ridiculous situation?

The sound of his stomach rumbling disturbed his train of thoughts, reminding him of those mild similarities between organic and mechanical life; refuelling being one of them.

Slowly, with the caution of one predicting some sort of disaster, Starscream climbed out of bed, exposing his nudity to the world once again. He wandered over to the window, looking out from behind the curtains while being careful to ensure the two pieces of fabric didn't separate more than what was required; he remembered the warning Stella had given him the previous day and was unwilling to display himself again.

There seemed to be no sign of the human on the street below, just a selection of her fellow organics going about their daily business like the insects they were. Starscream sneered, before abandoning the window and making his way into the refuelling room.

-------

Having rummaged unceremoniously through the fridge and several cupboards, Starscream finally found the waffles the female had referred to in her note. Placing two of them in the toaster and depressing the lever, he turned his attention to the clutter adorning the workbench.

Objects of various sizes were scattered across the dirty, blue laminate, most of them he didn't recognise at sight but would have done had he still had access to the immense Decepticon database. It was his guess that the majority were used for the preparation of human fuel, others for simple decoration. In other words, they weren't of any use to him.

A pile of papers drew his attention next; without hesitation he shuffled through them with disinterest and the slightest hope of finding something useful.

_Final notice._

_Payment overdue._

_Feed the hungry – make a donation now._

Starscream cast aside the papers with disdain.

The sound of his breakfast popping up in the toaster brought his green eyes back to the small appliance; the sweet, pleasant smell of the fuel washing over him causing his mouth to water. He was about to reach for the now-steaming waffle when the sudden sound of radio static made itself heard, accompanied by a slight stinging in his right ear.

"_Hey, Screamer? You there? Come in, Screamer?"_

The human couldn't help but jump in surprise at the sound of his wingmate's voice. Soundwave's accursed communication device...he'd totally forgotten about it. The continued humming in his head told him that the com link was still open; he decided against ignoring his frustrating subordinate.

Equal, he corrected himself with ire.

"Yeah, what?" he snapped, not bothering with niceties.

"_Hey Screamer! How's my favourite squishy going? I see you haven't managed to get yourself killed, you've gotta be happy about that,"_ Skywarp chirped happily.

"Slag you, Skywarp. What do you want, I'm busy."

"_Aww, don't be like that, Screamer. Can't a guy check in on his buddy every now and then? I mean, you move outta home and you never call..."_

"For Primus' sake, how many times do I have to tell you not to call me that! Now get to the point of this conversation or I'll end it right now."

"_Yeah, not much chance of that happening, Screamer. But seriously, how's it going out there in the land of the squishies? Have ya found a job yet? Or a place to recharge? We noticed you've stayed in the same place for a couple of cycles now..."_

The deep voice of Thundercracker cut into the conversation, drowning out Skywarp's frustrating rambling. _"Hi Starscream, just ignore him. How are you, are you still sick?"_

"I'm fine, no thanks to you."

"_Are you sure? If you're still running hot then maybe you should be brought back here and..."_

"I said I'm fine, slaggit! And as much as I hate being surrounded by these filthy flesh creatures, they make better company than you do. Now is there a reason why you're pestering me? Oh, wait, you've already screwed up and want my advice, right _Air Commander_?"

An uncomfortable silence invaded the communication link for several astro seconds before Thundercracker responded. _"You know I didn't ask for this promotion. Look, Starscream, we just wanted to make sure you were ok. Megatron has noticed you haven't moved for the last couple of cycles, he's gonna be asking you questions pretty slagging soon, you can bet on it. What have you been up to, have you made any progress?"_

"_Have you fragged any femmes?"_ Skywarp interrupted.

"What the slag do you think I've been doing, Thundercracker?" Starscream spat, ignoring his other wingmate. "I've been trying to work out a way of infiltrating the Autobot base, a slagging simple task I must say."

"_Do you need our help, you know, finding credits or a place to stay?"_

"I don't need idiots helping me."

"_Starscream, don't be an aft about this. I shouldn't have to remind you that Megatron is expecting results, and if you don't deliver, I doubt it will simply be your Cybertronian form that you're fighting to save. If you don't want to work things out now, then fine. But at least let us see you, you never know, we might just be useful to you."_

Starscream sighed, gazing blankly at the toaster before him. In that moment of confusion he hated his wingmates – it was their fault he was in this mess – but despite the anger squirming inside of him, the thought of being amongst his own kind did bring an unsettling sense of calm to him.

"Fine," he finally responded. "Meet me in the manufacturing district, two and a half cycles from now. You can track my signal to find me, and there won't be many humans around to see us. But don't see this as me accepting your help. I'm not. I just want to shut you up, got it?"

"_Ok, Starscream, understood. Take care of yourself. Thundercracker out."_

"_Yeah, see ya then, Screamer. And save some femmes for me, ok."_

The communication link fell silent, taking with it the static hum and the dull ear ache.

"Slag off, Skywarp!" Starscream finally yelled, thumping the kitchen bench with a balled-up fist.

--------

He had to get out of there.

He had wasted way too much time wallowing in the realms of weakness, it was time for him to leave.

Having made use of the human's washroom facilities, Starscream ran his fingers over the torn fabric of his trousers. It was odd to think that only a few breems ago he would have done anything to cover his animalistic form, yet now, as his thumb became caught in one of the many holes, he wasn't so sure he wanted to cover himself.

Perhaps it was his overzealous vanity, clawing its way back into his conscious mind after so many breems of humiliating absence. Despite the female's supposed attempt to clean the garments they were still covered in mud, still shredded and thus decidedly ugly.

He grimaced in frustration; such things were not worthy of him, even in his current form.

But giving into his vanity would not solve his current conundrum, for both conceit and common sense had conflicting arguments.

If he wanted to escape, he had to cover himself as was the human custom. But despite that fact, one thing was for sure. If he was to leave the partial safety of the femme's dwelling he couldn't do it wearing such dishevelled clothing. Not without drawing more unwanted attention anyway.

He grimaced, and threw the clothing back onto the bed. So, he didn't have a choice, then. He had to stay, and wait for the accursed female to bring him the new coverings she had promised in her note. Starscream had no doubt they would be ugly.

They had to be, just like everything else to do with humans.

Starscream sat on the bed, scowling. How he hated waiting.

---------

Wandering through the crowded streets was nothing new for Stella. The colours, the scents, the noises, the faces… it was a very well known world, the small universe of her neighborhood, the one she was sure she would never leave.

But that afternoon, as she walked among the familiar and yet distant facades, she was sure the small kingdom in which she was barely a slave was shining with a different light. For once, she wasn't walking those streets like a robot, surrendering to the routine of selling her body just for the luxury of having a place to spend the night. For once, she was walking through those streets with a purpose, one that made her feel happy.

As she headed toward the small store at the end of the street, she focused again on the image of her mysterious guest. She blushed, immediately feeling embarrassed about it. Blushing was one of the things women like her didn't have the right to experience. Men expected them to be sexual machines, as she had tried to be with _him._

But at some point she had failed. There was something very strange in that man that was supposed to be the fuck of her life. There was something behind his frown, his arrogant attitude and his naiveté concerning everything that was ordinary… She didn't know what to think, and all she could do was pray for having more time to find it out.

She reached her destination and found the always friendly stare of Johanna, the one person she could call a friend. As always, Johanna was wearing a dress that seemed to find ways to get shorter every day, not minding about the legs beneath it being too rough for such delicate textile. In the end, Johanna was no culprit of having being born in the wrong body.

"My my… isn't somebody happy today?" Johanna greeted Stella. Definitely if there was someone that could proudly call herself a woman despite nature insisting she was the opposite, it was that marvelous tall and skinny creature.

"How can you tell? I'm not smiling as far as I know," Stella said, trying to sound indifferent and starting to peer through the clothes exhibited on the ugly and old mannequins.

"Not with your mouth hun, but trust me, you are." Johanna blinked one eye and put a finger on her temple. "Let me guess… a client… fat and drunk, perhaps senile… but heavily covered in big bucks… I bet the poor bastard didn't know when you snatched his wallet, huh?"

"Well, he had a tuxedo…"

"I knew it. So now you come to spend your profits with your best girlfriend. Good for ya girl! So what can I get you today? I got this fabulous tank top…"

"Nu-huh. Wrong gender, dear. Show me some male jeans, and a shirt… How is my credit line?"

"For you, eternal. But stop right there. Why in heaven do you need male clothes?"

Stella didn't reply. Once again she felt the reddish tone assaulting her face, but she turned toward some t-shirts aligned beside the counter. Johanna reached out for her and made her turn around.

"Now turn that slutty face of yours and face me, Stel! Do you have the guy in your apartment?!"

"Well…"

"Damn, girl! What are you thinking? Does Kane know about this?"

Stella's smile quickly turned into a thin line. "No, and I want it to remain that way."

"If he finds out…"

"He won't. He's probably very busy at his club right now."

"Oh yeah… it's Friday after all, right? No wonder I didn't see Frank and Pete fooling around this morning. They must be preparing everything for the fights. Men can be so brutish!"

"They can't help it I guess… Hey, I like this one!" Stella happily said taking a red t-shirt. "How much?"

Johanna stared thoughtfully at her friend. "Mmmh… for you? Let me see… if your gossip's worth it, half price."

Stella burst out in laughter. "Sorry sweetie, not today."

She didn't know why she was being so reserved. Normally she would gloat about the first class stud she had managed to take to her bed, but it was all part of that strange aura that surrounded him.

When she walked out of the store, embracing the bag with the clothes destined to dress her tanned Adonis, she wondered for a moment if he was real, if the one who had taken her to paradise was nothing but an illusion, a ghost created by her very lonely mind.

-----------

Starscream stared at his own reflection in the mirror, forgetting about the presence of the female behind him.

Underwear… it felt comfortable but he wasn't sure if he preferred not to use it. The pants alone were fine. Why did the humans have to complicate their puny lives so much? Giving so much attention to insignificant details… it was no wonder why they were so low in the chain of conquest.

"You know, Sean… as much as I hate seeing your jewels covered, I have to admit those trunks suit you just fine…"

He allowed her to caress the now covered zone of his body. She seemed to highly like it, and he had to admit that her touch was pleasant.

"Now the jeans… I'm sure you are used to better brands, but this is all I could get. Sorry, sugar."

"Save your excuses. At least these garments are not torn," he disdainfully said as he put the blue jeans on.

"Mmmh… love how they suit you… Not too tight, not too loose…." she continued, lost in the image on the mirror and not caring about his rude tone.

Starscream grumbled something in response, but once again he forgot about the femme. Blue… at least the slagging human clothing was blue. He hid his relief when he caught sight of the red garment she had brought to cover the upper part of his body. Paintjobs were very important for a Cybertronian, and at least being able to use his colors was an unexpected but welcomed surprise. At least he would feel a little bit more like himself, but only a little...

"Now the final touch," Stella said triumphantly. "Sneakers! You won't be able to run a marathon with them, but…"

"I told you I don't care about those things. Whatever is fine," he said sitting on the bed and putting the white soft shoes on his bare feet.

She kneeled in front of him, resting her hands on his thighs. Her glance was strange, seemingly crystallized.

"Now what the slag is wrong with you?" he said, frowning. He really didn't like his personal space being invaded like that. Interfacing with the human had been one thing, but that didn't mean she could get that close to him, not if she wanted to keep functioning, that is… It would be so easy to break her neck joint, to release some of his frustration by seeing another being perishing under his grip. But then again, she was not worthy of dying at his hands. There was a big distance between slaughtering Autobots and anonymous second class human prostitutes.

"You are leaving now, right?"

"Yes. I've already wasted too much time here."

Stella got up and turned her back at him. He stood up, not caring for anything more than the door. Outside, uncertainty was waiting. How the slag was he supposed to contact the Autobots, not to mention infiltrate them? Accursed Megatron… he should bathe in that damn Well of Transformation water and try to infiltrate the Autobots himself, then he would know…

"Will you come back, Sean?"

The voice of the femme interrupted his train of thoughts. He stared at her, like noticing her presence for the first time.

"What?"

Her smile returned. She put her arms around his neck and grazed his chest with hers. Slag, how he liked those big and rounded breast plates…

"Because if you do, I promise you will have a wonderful time. There are still many things you haven't experienced yet…"

"Is that so?" he asked, deciding to play her game a little more. "Like what?"

"Oh, you would have to come back to find out… But seriously, Sean, if you ever need a place to crash…"

"_Crash…?"_Now that was a word he didn't like.

"Yes, or if you are in the neighborhood… You can come, you know? You don't have to pay me. No strings attached, just pure pleasure… I'll take good care of you."

He grabbed her chin and slightly tilted her head up. He had always liked to grab femmes that way, no matter if they were pleasure femmebots in Kaon or Elita One herself. Perhaps it was a matter of domination, that perhaps he liked them to have their attention focused on him… But attention was something he didn't need to force on Stella. That human seemed to worship him, an advantage he could certainly use.

"Maybe I will, Stel," he finally said. "If you keep your mouth shut and use it for more useful purposes than talking nonsense… Speaking of which, get on your knees femme, I may grant you some more minutes of my valuable time."

She smiled and softly pushed him to the bed. He fell on his back and closed his eyes, hearing her unzipping his new pants. Yes… this Stel femme could be useful after all, if only to give him some relief of the living hell of being a human.

-------------

Evening was beginning to arrive when Starscream entered the city streets again. For some reason, the noisy and colorful Autobot-like vehicles didn't bother him too much, neither the dozens of humans that saturated the sidewalks. Insects as they were, it was still weird to see them face to face instead of from the superior height of his former body, but he disregarded those thoughts. He had more important things to think about, like how in the Pit he was going to get inside the Autobots' circle of trust. He knew their weaknesses, but he needed the chance of using them to his advantage. Getting that chance was going to prove difficult, especially considering he had five solar cycles to give Megatron some initial results if he didn't want to end like a pulp of blood and bones beneath his leader's foot.

Priorities. He needed to establish immediate priorities. He had covered the basics of his hygienic and refueling needs by washing and feeding himself during Stella's earlier absence, so his body was no longer an issue, at least for the rest of the cycle. What he needed was credits, the currency named dollars that humans used to sustain their economy in that particular city-state. He was certainly not going to lower himself by getting a human job as his wingmates had suggested, but he had to get those dollars as soon as possible. Getting to the Autobots could prove to be expensive.

At some point, even lost in his train of thoughts, he noticed how human femmes were staring at him. Seemed that Stella was not the only one to admire his extraordinary good looks.

The idea of lowering himself once again with some of those big-breasted specimens was starting to flirt with his mind when he caught sight of something that momentarily erased all trace of sexual desire.

The two faces he wouldn't forget, the two humans that had dared to humiliate him… Denominations Frank and Pete, that he would never forget. When somebody dared to enter his enemy list, they stayed there.

They didn't see him and kept walking. They were talking cheerfully, sometimes saying things to other humans that Starscream couldn't hear. One thing was certain; they had some sort of high status in the zone because the other fleshlings stayed out of their way and addressed them with respect.

Good. Starscream didn't like low ranked enemies, that's why he didn't even know the names of most of the inferior ranked Autobots. He had had a discussion with Megatron about the matter recently, neither of them sure about which one of the runts was Bumbler or whatever his name was.

But no matter what, those two human bile bags were about to pay for what they had done to him two nights before. How he would achieve that, was still an enigma. All he knew was that revenge was better served hot, and the opportunity was right before him.

He followed them, keeping his distance to avoid suspicions. Despite his immense desire for retaliation, he had to be cautious. If those humans had some status, that meant they had some power, and Starscream preferred to know what he was facing before jumping into the danger zone. Painful and humiliating past experiences had taught him so.

Some minutes went by before the humans disappeared through an entrance at the end of a closed street. Other flesh creatures were entering the place, so Starscream thought he wouldn't look suspicious if he did the same. He wasn't mistaken.

---------------

The shouts, the greedy stares, the money passing from one hand to the other, the big-assed girls selling drinks and cigarettes, the lights focused on the ring at the center of the place, emphasizing the semi darkness that surrounded it…

Trash as it was, Kane enjoyed contemplating his little reign. As he tightened his grip on his golden cane, he delighted himself in the idea of the profits he would gain that day. He had been dealing with drugs and prostitutes for almost thirty years, but he still preferred underground fights.

Bets showed the real face of humanity. When a man put his money in something, he was putting his entire trust on the table. That was the only way to see the real face of a person, the moment in which greed and hope became one. Winning or losing meant more than losing some bills. Dignity was involved, sometimes legacy. He had lost count of how many men and women had lost everything they had in the world to him.

Kane smirked as he saw Frank and Pete directing the delicious mess that collecting the bets was. At the end of the day, most of that money would be his. No matter how, fate always worked on his favour. He made it sure it did.

Fourty five minutes later he was staring at the spectacle from a conveniently hidden spot at the back of the small auditorium. He didn't like to catch too much the attention of the audience, despite the fact that everybody knew he was the one who controlled the wires.

As predicted, the first fights were boring. His guys won a couple, lost another. Once again, nothing out of his control. Standing beside him, his loyal lieutenants didn't waste an opportunity to try to gain his favours.

"See that, Mr. Kane? I taught him that movement myself, only cost him two teeth!"

"You're so full of shit, Frank, it was me who trained that bugger!"

Kane burst into laughter, satisfied with the rivalry between his lackeys. "Nuff with the bullshit boys, you better have good news for me concerning the stellar fight."

Frank's smirk immediately disappeared. "Oh yeah, about that Mr. Kane… it wasn't easy to find a rival for Maximus, you know…"

"He has beaten everybody around… Nobody wants to fight him anymore," Pete added.

Kane slowly shook his head. "Not what I wanted to hear boys. I have a good amount of money invested in that fight, so you better not disappoint me."

"Eh… hopefully we won't." Frank said. "We found this new guy… He works free lance as an enforcer for The Predators… He thinks he can have a chance against Maximus..."

"A chance is more than I need to raise the bets, asshole. Make sure he puts up a good fight, or you two will end up at the bottom of the river tonight, got it?"

"Sure thing!" both Frank and Pete said at the same time.

Soon the moment everybody expected arrived. The spotlights illuminated the figure of a tall and average muscular man that approached the ring. But his arrival couldn't have been more disappointing, as the jeering that welcomed him increased its intensity.

"What the fuck is _that?!" _Kane yelled, grabbing Pete by the neck of his jacket and pointing toward the improvised fighter. "I think I told you to find a proper rival for Maximus! Who is that clown?"

"T… the Predators' enforcer… just last week he crushed five guys all by himself…"

"Guys that Maximus would use to wipe his ass! I don't know how you two morons are going to do it, but you have five minutes to find me someone decent that can take at least three rounds with Maximus or you are dead! Offer him one grand, more if you need to, but it'll come right from your pockets, do you understand?"

Providence worked in strange ways. In the same moment in which Frank and Pete were looking frenetically in their terrified minds for ways to save their necks, and Kane was already calculating how much money he would lose that night, something happened.

A lightning bolt, a gust of a hurricane, all there, in the back part of Kane's auditorium.

Pete was snatched roughly from his grip, and all Kane saw was a fist brutally crashing against the face of his subordinate.

Pete cried in pain as blood erupted from his shattered nose. He hadn't finished collapsing to the floor when Frank followed his destination, victim of a strong elbow that impacted his head.

Kane blinked in confusion and stepped back, a reaction he _never _had.

Before him, a very good looking young man dressed with a tuxedo jacket and informal clothes was staring at him.

It wasn't the arrogance, or the smirk of superiority that adorned his face… It was the murderous shine in his eyes that made the powerful gang leader feel his body shiver.

"_One grand?_" the young man repeated the words he had heard. "I'll fight, and I'll win, but you will pay me triple."

_To be continued._


	18. Rumble in the Jungle

_As we head into a new year, we'd like to thank you all for your kind support, inspiration and general rabid-ness which makes writing all the more fun! We really look forward to producing more for your enjoyment in the 'twenty-tens', which includes more Fleshling, more Cantabile and much, much more! Happy New Year!! _

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**Chapter 17**

**Rumble in the Jungle**

One of the biggest vices of humanity was to take differences and mutate them into divisions. Black and white, male and female, conservative and liberal… The differences between groups couldn't have been more abysmal, and yet they had one thing in common: they all thought they were right.

Orson Kane was above such trivialities. His own personal code recognized only two kinds: the survivors and the ones to be stepped on, no idiotic concepts such as morale or race included. An individuals' worth determined by themselves… and how useful they could be to him.

When he caught sight of the handsome young man who had brought down his two closest lieutenants with such ease, he had no doubt he was facing a survivor; an over-confident, immature, ambitious punk… Kane could read him like a book, but still, there was something in him that intrigued him. Later, when he remembered that first encounter, he would realize it had been that impossible aura… the feeling that the arrogant jerk didn't belong to this world.

Of course, almost immediately he considered such thought as stupidity.

"And just who the fuck are you?!" the bearded, obese man roared, trying not to expose his instantaneous liking for the young prick.

"I am the one who will defeat whoever enters that arena," he replied as if he owned the world.

Kane rubbed his chin and glanced at him from head to toes. "Just because you trashed my two assistants doesn't mean you stand a chance against Maximus… What makes you think I'd actually pay you for making me lose money? The world doesn't work that way, child."

"I am no child, and as for how _this _world works, I still have to say my word on the matter. You'll pay me that three grand or whatever you called it, or you are next."

From his spot on the floor, Frank managed to get on his knees and extracted something from his jacket. "Don't you dare threaten Mr. Kane like that… aaaaaahhhh!!"

A crunching sound could be heard when the young man kicked Frank's hand, making him drop his gun and breaking two of his fingers at the same time.

Amongst the redhead's groans of pain, Kane's raspy laughter could be heard.

His first impression hadn't been wrong. He definitely liked that punk.

"You have some nerve, pretty boy," he said. "Did you know that all I have to do is snap my fingers and you'll be floating in the river in less than an hour with a pretty bullet between your eyes?"

The young man smirked. "Perhaps, but you won't do such a thing."

"Oh, really? What makes you so sure?"

"Because a dead corpse doesn't produce earnings, unless my information about how things work in this place has been erroneous."

Kane narrowed his eyes, trying to understand who the hell that bugger was. There was something about him, an eloquence that didn't come naturally to the scum that normally festered on the streets – the rarity of intelligence – a characteristic that endeared him as much as it raised suspicion and danger.

"What's your name, pretty boy?"

The young man seemed to hesitate, but finally decided to speak. "Latta. Sean Latta."

"If that's a fake name…"

"Spare yourself more wasted time, flesh creature. I have no other name on this Earth other than this one, that I can assure you."

"What the fuck did you just call me…?"

"Three grand," Sean interrupted. "If you have the slightest bit of intelligence, you'll take my offer."

Kane remained in silence. Vast experience urged him to liquidate that clown, but instinct, the same instinct that had taken him to the top of the gangs of North Portland, was pointing in a different direction.

Kane's stubby finger drifted over his bearded chin as he regarded the young man through narrowed eyes. It wasn't often he hesitated when deciding someone's fate...

The curtain that kept them away from the crowd gathered around the ring suddenly opened. A bulky man dressed in a black suit and with his right hand inside his jacket cast a distrustful glance toward the intruder.

"Is everything okay, Mr. Kane?" he asked.

Kane nodded his head quickly before addressing Sean again. "I'll tell you what, Sean Latta," he finally said. "I won't give you three, but five grand if you defeat Maximus in less than three rounds, if you can stand them, that is. Fail, and I'll have your balls for dinner tonight, got it?"

Sean smirked. "You better prepare that five grand, then."

Kane addressed the man in the black suit. "Hayami, take this punk to the ring. Let's see if he can bite as much as he can bark."

The man nodded and showed Sean the way.

Kane licked his lips as he watched his new discovery leaving. The boy had potential, he certainly would be useful… Then he returned his attention to Pete, who was still grabbing his bloody nose.

"You, get up!" he said, kicking him in the side. "You too, Frank! What a shame, letting yourselves get stepped on like that."

"S…ssorry, sir…" the black haired man whimpered, doing his best to contain the blood coming from his broken nose.

"I'll deal with you two idiots later. Now you better move and make sure everything's ready in 10 minutes! Put ten grand on that punk… no, make it fifteen."

"Fifteen thousand dollars? But sir, all the odds will be against him…"

"And so the bets, I hope, which will take my earnings to the skies once he wins."

"How are you so sure he'll win? He just had a lucky shot; the other night we beat him nice and easily. He's just some regular fucked up guy. With his pretty face, he'd do better walking the streets," Frank said as he grasped his two broken fingers.

"Oh, and that's precisely what I have planned for him in case he loses. I bet his tight little ass would sell quite good… But I have a feeling with this one. Call me perceptive, but I think we just met the guy who will break Maximus' perfect record."

……………

Cigarette smoke created a hazy aura under the spotlights of the auditorium, giving the crowded arena an air of heaviness. It wasn't a pleasant smell, nor was it unfamiliar, the scent instantly reminding the young man of the small abode of that female Stella.

But there were other smells there too; alcohol, dirt, sweat... the unmistakable aroma of stale blood which stirred memories of the days during which he trampled those scampering human insects instead of standing as one of them.

Accursed humans...

Through the pock-marked darkness Starscream watched as they scurried about one another, fighting for the best seats, waving their currency about like signal flags as they placed their bets and purchased their vices without remorse. For a moment he was reminded of his youth, the crowded gladiatorial pits of Kaon; the greed and excitement...

Starscream shook his head; humanity was getting to him like a disease. The differences were of course enormous, their race being just one... what in Primus' name was he thinking?

As he watched the crowd part noisily to allow the entrance of his rival, he couldn't help but wonder how much those beasts were paying to see his approaching fight. Certainly nothing nearing his true worth but still, the question intrigued his arrogant side. Those pathetic animals didn't have a clue how privileged they were but that didn't matter, they would soon learn.

He couldn't help but allow a sly smirk spread across his face; he didn't know why but he had felt an immediate dislike of the man upstairs and he was truly looking forward to snatching that five grand from his fat, stubby fingers.

A partial hush fell over the crowd as a grizzled man in a tuxedo climbed proudly into the ring. As the spotlights centred on his tall form and he reached up for what looked like some kind of communications device, it crossed his mind with great satisfaction that even in its now tattered form, his tuxedo was far superior to that one.

As Starscream leaned on his corner of the improvised ring, hearing the noisy human announcing the stellar fight, he took a moment to analyse his rival, the one called Maximus.

Never before had the term 'flesh bag' been more adequate for a human. The thing was literally a big mass of flesh; his body made of big muscles in which were carved an unknown number of strange insignias. Both of his arms had badges resembling femme's faces, and there was a cross marking one side of his chest… He definitely belonged to some faction, even though Starscream knew that particular terrestrial zone was not currently in the midst of civil war.

Maximus was considerably taller and bulkier than him. At first it had seemed easy to decide to take part into that fight, guided by his certainty that he could defeat any human despite the fact that hand to hand combat was not his speciality. But looking at the size of his enemy he wasn't so sure anymore…

He discarded such pessimistic thoughts. Soundwave had said he was stronger than a regular human, besides he was a Decepticon. Despite being an aerial warrior, he was also a cunning fighter – he had received constant and painful "training" from Megatron, after all... All he had to do was prove he continued being deadly despite wearing an organic skin.

A poke on his leg made him look down.

"Shirt off, tough guy," the man who had taken him to the ring said. "We're about to start."

Starscream took off his jacket and shirt and tossed them aside. A general murmur made itself heard through the auditorium when he exposed his slim but muscular torso.

Even Maximus raised an eyebrow whilst he approached the center of the ring.

"Well hello!" the big man said. "I don't know if I want to fight you or fuck you."

Starscream grimaced. It took him just an astro klik to decide that he would definitely prefer interfacing with the human whore Stella than with this hairy, greasy male.

"Either option would result in the same thing, earth germ," Starscream spat defiantly. "Your termination. But not before you've been humiliated beyond what your puny brain can imagine..."

"Earth germ?!" Maximus repeated. "What the fuck are you on, pretty boy? You buy some of that tainted shit Kane's been trying to get rid of, huh? I hear it makes your balls go numb... Well lucky you, cock sucker, you might not feel so much pain as I beat the shit out of you."

A bell rang and Maximus immediately pounced at him.

As he easily avoided the first punch Starscream recalled the so-called rules of that pathetic imitation of a gladiatorial match. No biting and no eye pecking… Aside from that, everything was allowed. Starscream wished he had his null rays. It would only take a slight shot to make all the organs of that human stop functioning in a blink of an optic.

When he didn't have problems avoiding the second attack, Starscream relaxed. That was going to be a fight as easy as he had expected. His speed was far superior to Maximus', so all he had to decide was when to end the combat.

The human named Kane had said he had to win the fight in less than three rounds, so it was pointless to wait.

"Stop dancing and start fighting you fag!!" Maximus shouted as his third punch impacted the air.

It was in that fraction of a second in which Starscream made his move. He quickly put himself behind the man and punched one of his sides. Maximus stepped back and Starscream attacked again, this time targeting his face.

Infinite satisfaction filled his systems when he felt the soft flesh deforming against the strength of his attack.

"Is that better, worm?" Starscream hissed cynically. "You should be careful what you ask for, I'm feeling generous today so you might just get what you wanted." He accented his malice with a blow to his opponent's torso.

A pained roar was his only response.

Perhaps it was the heady stench of the arena, perhaps it was the roar of his improvised worshippers, cheering him on or not, but suddenly the ex-Seeker felt invigorated... It felt so good to be inflicting harm...

Alright, he may be no gladiator, but he would make that fight memorable. Once the nightmare of being a fleshling was over, he would rub his success as a human fighter right into Megatron's face.

Yes, he would enjoy that, gloating about a success that Megatron would never have granted him... The accursed tyrant would hate it, almost as much as he would hate seeing his Cybertronian form rising from the depths of disgrace, those cleansing waters dripping from his frame as they restored is former glory.

Starscream smirked as he released Maximus from his grip and began to weave around his rival's furious punches. But said smirk vanished almost as quickly as it had appeared; like if it had been invoked, a very annoying buzz inside his ear made him realize he was receiving a comm link.

"Frag, not now!!" he cried as he grabbed his right ear.

"_What do you mean 'not now', you fool? Who do you think you are talking to? I can comm you whenever I want, do you understand?!" _Megatron's rough voice resounded inside his head.

"I'm kind of busy right now, Megatron!" he said, right before something with the force of a torpedo impacted his cheek.

He flew, literally, but the experience wasn't pleasant. He fell face down on the floor, which was harder than he had thought.

The roar of the crowd only increased his sensation of dizziness, and the frenetic beating in the place in which he had been hit.

"Megatron, really… this is not a good time…" he said in low voice. The humans would suspect if they saw him talking alone.

"_I am the one to decide that. Now listen, I have instructions for you."_

A brutal kick to one of his sides threw him toward the edge of the ring.

"Aaaaarrrghh!!!"

"_Just what the frag are you doing there, Starscream? I didn't send you to that human city state for your own enjoyment. You better be investing your time in the mission I assigned you and not in some twisted human activities, or else…"_

"I can assure you I'm not enjoying this, fearless leader… but for Primus' sake don't mess with me right now!!!"

"_Don't you dare talk to me that way, Starscream! It's been two solar cycles since you abandoned the base, and if I know you well, you must have been wasting your time miserably instead of focusing on your assignment."_

"Just...frag...off..." Starscream muttered as he winced in pain. A second kick to the side replaced any further words of insult with another cry of frustrated agony.

Damn Megatron...damn him to the deepest, slag-filled depths of the Pit...

"_You filthy piece of slag, when I get my hands on you I'll make sure you pay for your insubordination, do you hear me, fleshling? I've had enough of your games, Starscream, now report your status or I will have you terminated, understood?!"_

When a powerful claw grabbed the back of his trousers and lifted him like a toy, Starscream decided to ignore Megatron, as difficult as that was.

"Take his pants off!" one of the females in the audience cheered.

"In your slagging dreams you filthy slut," the dangling Decepticon murmured to himself as he heard Maximus roaring triumphantly.

"_What the slag did you just say?! Stop wasting my time, Starscream, I'm warning you!" _

"What's that, asshole, you calling for your mummy?" Maximus mocked as he began to swing Starscream back and forth like a ragdoll. "Well your mummy can't help ya now, pretty boy, she's too busy earning her keep on the streets, just like you will be when I'm done with you."

Starscream violently struggled to release himself from the grip, but Maximus was faster and threw him to one side, impacting him against one of the poles of the ring. He fell on his knees, immediately recognizing the warm liquid that started to flow from one of his temples.

No… not again… his blood…

"_Starscream! I'm talking to you! Answer me this instant or you are terminated!"_

That did it. Megatron's voice was so irritating, incredibly irritating… when the big human made his way toward him, all Starscream saw was Megatron.

Suddenly he didn't feel pain anymore. Megatron had beaten him too many times… but this one would be different.

He was nobody's joke.

_Attack the enemy's weaknesses. If he had no weaknesses, create them…_

The vicious kick intended to impact his head like it would a ball found no target. Recovering his speed, Starscream evaded it and took the muscular leg instead, twisting it sideways as much as he could.

A cry of pain erupted from Maximus' throat, and then Starscream knew.

He would win that fight after all.

Maybe it was the sensation of his own blood mixing with his sweat and trickling down his face and heaving torso, but suddenly Starscream was reminded of one of the his last encounters with his _benevolent_ Commander... The humiliation he had felt as punishment was inflicted for a failure that was not his, the pain of his wings being torn, his fuel lines leaking as smoke from his wounds clouded his vision...

That tyrant would pay...

He jumped from the floor and impacted his knee against the man's face, succeeding in pushing him backward. As he pounded his victim, Starscream saw nothing but Megatron; that gleaming silver carapace that reflected every insult, those merciless optics, that vicious smirk of contempt that seemed to mock him every time brutal hands of black punished him...

When hitting his opponent's stomach and head proved to be useless, Starscream searched for the spot that could already be considered a weakness. He concentrated all his strength in his right leg and kicked his enemy's injured knee.

The creaking that could be heard was like music to his ears. Maximus' leg bent in what even Starscream could recognize as an unnatural way. The man fell down, only to receive a point blank punch right in the middle of his face. Blood came out along with two teeth, and the formerly undefeated Maximus moved no more.

Drunk on adrenaline and the roar of the audience, Starscream remained before his defeated rival, his sweaty torso moving agitatedly.

Only then did he realize that Megatron had ended the communication.

_To be continued._

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_And we continue using Transformer related names for the humans we are using in this story. (Fortress) Maximus, Peter (Cullen) and Frank (Welker) are no coincidence, and also the name of that god named Orson Welles (Citizen Kane), whose last job was voicing Unicron before leaving this world to become one with the Matrix._

_We hope you liked this chapter and you can count with a fast update. Your opinions are always welcome!_


	19. Wildlife

_First Fleshling update of the year! We want to thank you for the amazing support you have had for this story. We are so glad you are enjoying it that much because it has turned into one of our babies. Many surprises are waiting for the updates to come. In the meantime, we hope you enjoy this chapter._

**Chapter 18**

**Wildlife**

As Starscream descended from the human arena, the flashes of light and unintelligible shouts directed toward him fused into one, absorbent fog, vision and hearing becoming the same. He knew the earthlings' language, but suddenly their words became nothing, same as the hands palming his shoulders, same as the lecherous glances that landed brazenly on his bare torso as he passed through that line of improvised admirers.

His right hand was clenched on the irregular form made by his jacket and shirt, being dragged carelessly beside him, stained with random dots of blood, blood that was not his. He felt good, powerful again, closer to his usual self. He could feel his human heart pounding like a savage beast inside his chest, and he was sure at that moment that no matter what happened, he would succeed, that he didn't need wings to fly.

It should have been that way, in the Cybertronian arenas. Certainly Megatron knew that fever of triumph following all those combats in which he had crushed opponents far bigger than him. The memory of his leader's intrusion in his own fight made Starscream grimace. It was such an irony to think that somehow he owed that triumph to Megatron… just as he owed him for being in the core of that chaotic and filthy nest of humans. It was a shame his leader hadn't witnessed his small but meaningful victory.

Megatron had always had that effect on Starscream, to take out the worst of him and make it shine.

With rage filled eyes he walked toward Kane's seat, who contemplated him with a twisted smile.

"The currency," Starscream demanded. "Now!"

Frank got up to confront him, but Kane held his arm, stopping him. The other human, Pete, was absent, certainly repairing his broken nose and fingers.

"Of course," Kane said, taking out a stack of greasy pieces of paper, certainly human credits. "You earned your dough tothe last dime…"

Starscream didn't decrease the rage of his glare when Kane kept the credits in his hand.

"There's more where these came from, pretty boy," Kane continued. "A kid with balls as well placed as yours always has a place inside my organization."

Starscream licked a dot of blood coming from his lower lip. "Is that so? And let me guess, all I have to do is keep beating your shameful warriors."

Kane burst into laughter. "Sometimes, but don't worry about your pretty face. Mostly I want you to watch my back, take care of some of my personal business, like controlling the merchandise, keeping an eye on the girls… the usual stuff, you know?"

Merchandise? Certainly the human was talking about the commerce of illegal weapons, inebriating substances and prostitutes… Earth was not very different from Cybertron after all.

"No," he firmly said.

His answer brought a frown to Kane's sinister face.

"You're new around here, Latta, that's why I'll tell you this once and once only. It's not a good idea to say no to me, definitely not a good idea."

"I'll be the first, then. If you are looking for lackeys, look wherever you found your pathetic underlings. I take orders from nobody, do you understand?"

"Talk to Mr. Kane that way again and you're finished, cocksucker!" Frank shouted, but before he could accompany his words with actions; Starscream grabbed him by the neck of his jacket and threw him roughly backwards, making him fall against a stack of chairs.

Immediately, Frank took out a gun but Kane stopped him with a wave of his hand. Then he addressed Starscream again.

"Fine, as I said you're new here and I'll give you one chance to reconsider. If you know what's good for you, you'll be back."

"Yeah, whatever," Starscream said, rolling his eyes and snatching the currency from Kane's hand.

"Hey, what the fuck? There is more than five thousand dollars there you little asshole!" the man cried, trying to recover his money, but he only got a rough push in return.

"A meaningless amount considering what I helped you earn tonight. And in return for your friendly advice I'll give you some as well. Stay out of my way. You have no idea who you are dealing with, and believe me, you don't want to know."

Without waiting for an answer, Starscream walked toward the exit, indifferent to the crowd and to the new enemy he had just gained.

…………..

Starscream stepped into the alley feeling renewed, the clean night air replacing the stifling stench of cigarettes and sweat like a refreshing cleansing session. Sheltering in the shadows from prying eyes, he took a moment to compose himself; celebrating prematurely would only lead to future overconfidence and stupid mistakes, he had to be careful.

Casting his shirt and jacket aside, the gladiator examined the black, green and white currency in his bloodied hands, mentally taking note of each bill's value. Six thousand, one hundred and twenty-two credits... not a bad effort considering all he had to do was act like a Decepticon.

He turned one of the bills over in his hand, unsure of what to do next. There was so much he needed to acquire; fuel, shelter, cleansing products... Although he knew little about the human's currency he was certain the amount he now held in his hands would not get him half of what he needed; there would always be a need for more. But then again, that was always the case, no matter the planet.

Folding the wad of cash carefully, Starscream stuffed his new-found wealth into his pants pocket before pulling his shirt on again. He immediately felt restricted by the garment, but he had already learned that his exposed torso would draw more attention than he currently wanted and thus he had to suffer. However, the jacket he could do without, and by carrying it the ex Seeker was rewarded with the comforting chill of the breeze playing over his arms. He inhaled deeply; suddenly the game of playing human didn't seem so hard.

Striding proudly along the streets, Starscream watched the fleshy insects bustling around him with renewed interest. He still despised them, but now it seemed there was something to be learned from them rather than simply seeing them as fodder for the fires of the Pit – the place where they would all end up when he was restored, of course. The way they dressed, the items they carried, even the way they moved and spoke...all of it gave him the clues he needed to succeed.

Rounding a corner with absolutely no thought of where he was going, the young man found himself walking down a street lined with what appeared to be human dwellings. It wasn't so much the form of the structures themselves – they were tall and of questionable construction like all the others – but the adornments and behaviours accompanying them were obvious giveaways. That, and they were similar to the building in which the human Stella resided.

A group of human sparklings bustled past him noisily as he glanced up at one of the accommodation units; yellowed light streamed from several windows, some partially obscured by fabric coverings whilst others remained fully exposed. Voices could be heard flowing from some of them, listless chatter, words of discipline...but suddenly they were all interrupted by that familiar but distinctly unwelcomed sound of his comm. link reactivating.

"_Ohhh slag, you have done it this time, Screamer,"_ the wretched voice of Rumble made itself heard through the connection. The ex-seeker could hear the cassette's twin laughing uncontrollably in the background.

"Rumble? What the slag do you want, you fragging runt?" Starscream replied, ignoring the strange look he received from a passer-by. "Don't you think I've got enough slag to deal with without you two glitches torturing me with your stupidity? I guess it would be stupid of me to even ask if you've got authorization to use this comm. channel?"

"_Aww, don't be such a glitch, Screamer. Of course we don't have authorisation! But that shouldn't get in the way of us pesterin' ya. We've missed watchin' ya get slagged by the big boss every cycle."_

"Oh really? Well why don't you just go and get yourselves slagged, that would prove very entertaining."

"_Nah, it's much better when it's you. Actually, that's why we called,"_ Frenzy said between snorts of laughter. _"Megatron is soooo pissed at you right now. Ha, I knew you had a death wish but slag, I didn't think you were dumb enough to call him a 'filthy slut'!"_

Hysterical laughter suddenly invaded the communication link, making the human wince in discomfort.

'WHAT?" Starscream roared, pressing a hand over his aching ear. "I did no such thing!"

"_Ahhh, that...that ain't what Megatron said..."_

"_He reckons you were whining about somthin', and then you said...what was it Frenz?"_

"_In your slaggin' dreams, you filthy slut."_

More laughter; Starscream clenched his fists.

"I wasn't talking to him and if that fool had listened and cut the communication when I had told him to, he wouldn't have heard that."

"_Oh? Sooo, who were ya talkin' to then, huh? You haven't been fraggin' whores, have ya?"_

"No! Of course not, you moronic glitch of a machine!"

"_Well, who were ya talkin' to then, huh?"_

"_Ohh, maybe he was talkin' to himself, ya know, Megatron caught him at a 'bad time'? Is that right, Screamer?"_

"Oh for the love of Primus! Is there a point to all of your slag or what? Because I've got things to do. Come on, answer me now or I swear you will be the first ones I crush when my body is restored!"

"_Geez, no need to be an afthole, Screamer,"_ Rumble said with a hurt tone."_We just thought you'd like to know that Megatron's really pissed at you."_

"_Yeah,"_ Frenzy piped in. _"He said if you don't have anything to show in two cycles the deal's off and you're dead."_

"_Personally, we hope you get slagged."_

And with that, the communication ended before the humanised Seeker could reply.

.................

Street after street, footpath after footpath...the monotony of it all was beginning to get to the former Decepticon Second in Command. His mood had dampened considerably following his unexpected call from Soundwave's miserable runts, and his shoulders no longer held the arrogance and pride they had previously carried. He was now wearing his jacket as the wind had suddenly become cold and unforgiving, a bitter reminder of his painful reality.

The night had become considerably quieter as the hours passed by, the number of flesh creatures had decreased considerably, and so Starscream found himself lost in his thoughts. He needed, once again, to establish priorities; since he was unwilling to the weakness that was Stella, it seemed he would be spending the night on the street again. It wasn't optimal, but at least it didn't feel like it was going to rain for the time being.

Starscream shivered, he was getting cold despite the fact that he had put his jacket on. He was beginning to feel hungry too, although he suspected he could last a few more hours without refuelling becoming an urgent need.

"Hey, buddy," a voice called from within the shadows of a dark alley. "You got a moment?"

"Slag off," Starscream responded as he continued walking.

"Hey now, friend, that ain't the way you talk to a guy wantin' to help you out?" the human continued, grasping Starscream's arm.

"Get your filthy hands off me!" Starscream spat, rounding on the young man, pushing him back forcefully.

"Woah...ok buddy, no problem... Didn't mean to offend."

"Your presence offends the universe. Now tell me why I shouldn't kill you where you stand?"

The young man looked up at Starscream with wide, bloodshot eyes; his skinny body shivered slightly and there was definitely an air of agitation about him.

"Look, buddy...I...I just need some cash, ok? I got some merchandise here, ya know, you might be interested?"

"I seriously doubt that, worm. What could a creature like you possibly have that I would need?"

"Anything...anything... I got crack...e... Or maybe ya want somethin' pretty for ya lady...I got this ring here, see..." the man said, offering piece of gold jewellery.

"I don't think so, you filthy animal. Now get out of my way."

Starscream began to walk away, not caring a moment for the drug-addled creature scurrying behind him.

"Wait, please!" the man called; he cringed the moment Starsceam turned to face him.

"WHAT?"

"Please, buddy...I'll do anything... I just...I just need enough to buy another hit for myself... I'm jonesin' ya know. I mean...if ya don't want merch then maybe there's somethin' else, ya know..."

"Such as?" Starscream enquired, not for interest but for the pure fact that he was beginning to enjoy the pathetic spectacle.

"Anything...I mean...I'm not into it, but if you are I could...ya know...suck you off..."

Starscream's reply came in the form of a heavy blow to the face.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." the young man wailed piteously. "I didn't think you'd want that...but I need the money...please...I don't want you to just give me cash...please...just buy something..."

Starscream looked at the human with utter disgust. He raised his fist again, ready to teach the wretched whelp a lesson he deserved, but as his eyes met that fearful stare, something inside him lurched.

What was that...that strange and uncomfortable sensation rising within him like warm liquid?

"What is your name, worm?" Starscream asked roughly. "Speak!"

"Ahh... Johnny..."

"You know, Johnny," Starscream said, circling the still-trembling human, "you remind me of someone. And maybe, just maybe, you might be of use to me."

"Like I said, buddy...I'll do anythin'...nothin's too much for Johnny..."

"Is that so? Well, we shall see, won't we, Johnny."

Johnny stood up and took Starscream's arm. "C'mon, friend...let me show you my store..."

"Do not touch me, do you understand?"

"Yes, sir...sorry sir..."

Starscream followed Johnny into the darkness of his alley, the thick stench of vomit immediately assaulting his nasal passages and making clear that this human was indeed suffering for his addiction. Still he continued past the garbage littering the ground beneath him until Johnny stopped at a filthy doorway.

"Home sweet home..." Johnny said, pulling up a crate. "Here, buddy, take a seat."

"I don't think so. So where is this merchandise?" Starscream said, squinting into the darkness. Aside from more garbage, he could make out the form of several more doorways, a flight of stairs and a human motorcycle.

"Here, here...take a look at this crack...top quality stuff... I'd take it myself but I'd be killed if I can't pay for it."

"I am not interested in drugs, or whatever that substance is."

"No...ok then...well, wait a minute..."

Starscream watched on as Johnny scurried away like one of those fleshy rats, scrounging in the dark for the smallest amount of dignity. When he returned he was carrying numerous objects, most of which didn't seem worth the energy it had taken to collect them.

"I got a crack pipe...some more rings, these pearls...you got a pretty girl, buddy? She'd like these?"

"Not interested."

"Ok then...what about this?" he said, offering a serrated knife.

Starscream took the weapon and turned it over in his hands. The blade was sharp, sharp enough to inflict severe damage, and the black handle seemed strong and sturdy. He considered it a moment before speaking.

"How much for this?"

"Umm...three hundred bucks..."

Starscream scowled; he didn't know anything about the human currencies but he was certain the flesh creature Johnny was asking too much.

"What do you take me for, fool? There is no way I'll give you that much for this piece of junk."

"Please...it's really worth it, see... Look, it's still sharp, and I cleaned it an' everything."

"No deal."

"Well, what about two hundred?" Johnny asked, dancing agitatedly on the spot.

"No."

"One hundred? Please, my friend..."

"No."

"Ok, fifty then. But you're gettin' a real bargain. Seriously, buddy, you wouldn't find a knife this nice cheaper."

Starscream regarded Johnny with a look of disdain. He had already proven himself a formidable fighter without the aid of a weapon but still, it wouldn't hurt to have some sort of back up."

"Okay..." he said after a moment of silence. "It's a deal."

Johnny looked as though he were about to jump out of his skin with pure excitement, his sunken blue eyes seemed to brighten slightly from within their dark lids, blinking furiously.

"Oh, you won't be disappointed, my friend, no...you've made an excellent choice," he babbled as he took the fifty dollar bill from Starscream's hand. "And there is more where that came from," he said, offering another knife.

"I only need the one, worm. Now, do you have anything else to offer, or are you going to continue wasting my time. Because if it's the latter, then let me warn you that you _will_ be the first victim of my new weapon."

Johnny cowered again. "No...I'm sorry, my friend...I know how important time is to a guy like you...I won't waste it."

"So, do you have anything else to show me?" Starscream asked, looking over the drug addict's shoulder into the darkness.

"I...uhh..."

"What about that?" he continued, gesturing to the motorbike behind them.

An idea had formed in the Seeker's head; one that had nothing to do with shelter or fuel but to do with freedom, speed, power...

"Oh...I...that's not... That is to say I don't..."

"Are you saying that you won't sell it to me? I thought you said you'd do anything for money?" he said, pushing past the young man and making his way over to the bike.

"I...er...well...yes...okay. It's just that I wanted to make sure you really wanted it...ya know...I can't just sell her to anyone...ya know..."

"How much power does _she_ have?"

"I...ummm..."

"You don't know, do you?"

"Err...well..."

"How much do you want for it?"

"Ahh...five thousand," Johnny responded with little hesitation.

Starscream shook his head. "Johnny, Johnny, Johnny...you can't be that desperate for credits if you're asking that much for such a worthless piece of scrap metal."

"I'm sorry...I...just got a little carried away, ya know how it is buddy. Uhh, what about four grand?"

"Still too much."

"Three...and that's my final offer."

"You insult me, Johnny."

"Hey look, buddy!" Johnny suddenly spat, bouncing nervously on the spot. "You want the fucking bike or not? 'Cause I need a fucking hit and if you ain't gonna give me what I need to get one, then you can fuck off. Hear me?"

Starscream snarled viciously. "Oh, foolish boy..." he hissed, before delivering a brutal knee to his torso.

Johnny buckled in on himself and fell howling to the ground, clutching his painful abdomen.

"Nobody speaks to me like that, got that?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." Johnny wailed in agony. "I was asking too much, I know that now...please...please don't hurt me...I'm desperate..."

Starscream's fingers tightened their grip on the knife as he knelt by the fallen man. "So...how much do you want for it?" he asked, pressing the weapon against his neck.

"For you, my friend, it's free...take it...please..."

"Much better," Starscream said with a smirk.

He stood up and glared at the squirming form of Johnny. There was that feeling again...was it possible he was feeling...pity?

Primus no...

He was Starscream, mightiest of Decepticons, murderer of millions...

"I tell you what..." he said against his better judgement. "I'm new to this slag pit and I could do with a few things to...help me settle in. I require accommodations...nothing expensive but above your filthy standards. It needs to be secluded, somewhere where I won't find myself bothered by simpering pests like yourself. If you can find something suitable, I will give you credits in exchange for your work. If not, consider yourself terminated. You will meet me here in exactly three days, and don't even think of missing it, or I will hunt you down. Understood?"

Johnny nodded feverishly. "Yes, sir...thank you sir..."

Starscream cast Johnny another glare as he stepped over him, making his way to his newest purchase.

He felt powerful again...funny how domination did that to him.

…………….

A welcome sensation kicked inside Starscream like the sweetest high grade. New and familiar at the same time, the wind against his face made him push to oblivion the curse that had hit him. His hair was toy for the wind, so were his clothes, and for a moment he wished for nothing but to strip from those lousy garments and become one with the machine he was riding, the increasing speed announcing that the sky was so close, closer than it had ever been since being converted into a human.

But reality always had ways to prevail. Starscream increased his speed as much as he could in pure rage, realizing that no matter how much he fantasized, he was chained to a human form, fragile and perishable, as far away from himself as Earth was from Cybertron.

But his arrogance also had its ways to counterattack. The two-wheeled vehicle had been easy to control, incredibly easy. His instinct had made him dominate that primitive machine as soon as he had started accelerating. Speed was his element, after all, as much as the skies were.

He didn't pay attention to the human vehicles around him until they considerably decreased their number, almost right after he left the highway to Seattle and took a smaller road to the east.

He smirked. Unconsciously, he had taken the path to the terrestrial mountain in which the Autobot base was embedded. Not that he was planning to initiate his mission right away, but it wouldn't do him harm to take a look.

………………

Two hours later, intermittent reflections of light illuminated Starscream's serious face. His gaze was fixated, lost on the bonfire before him. His wrinkled jacket and shirt lay beside him, carelessly scattered on the trunk he was sitting on.

He looked down at the tear in his jeans, exposing a break in his skin and part of his underwear. Dry blood had crusted over the wound and down his leg, staining the thick fabric with smatterings of the now brown internal fluid. Starscream ran his finger over the cut, he honestly couldn't remember how Maximus had inflicted that; he had been too lost in his fervour to notice.

Absent mindedly, he added a thin branch to the fire, making the element crackle. Not very far away, Mount Saint Helens was standing before him. Despite the distance, he could see the form of the Ark, illuminated by some exterior artificial lightning.

Curious. He had spent more than a terrestrial hour observing the enemy base and barely any movement had happened. A couple of Autobot patrols leaving and arriving, and nothing more. He didn't know if they had detected him, most likely they had, but the Autobots certainly hadn't considered him a threat, not even suspicious. Of course, what could they fear from some human insect? It was logical that many humans had tried to approach the Ark with the hope of seeing one of those giant, alien robots… many humans like him.

He didn't know what the slag he was doing there. Nothing would come from observing the enemy base from a distance; he had done so countless times before from the sky, although more than observing, he had been very generous releasing cluster bombs every time Megatron ordered some pointless attack.

His right hand headed toward his chest, slowly caressing his pectorals. There were no cluster bombs there; it was hard to believe they ever were. All he had now was skin, bare and soft skin.

He grimaced when a wave of pain assaulted his torso. That greasy human flesh bag had kicked him very hard. It was curious how in the moment of the fight, the pain had only increased his rage and made him counterattack harder, but now it was only a nuisance and a reminder of his own fragility. He still wasn't sure about human repairs, but he remembered that the bag of ice the human Stella had applied to him two cycles ago would have been welcomed at that moment. And not only the bag of ice…

Heat that didn't come from the bonfire suddenly hit him when the image of the human female came to his mind. He still couldn't believe he had fallen so easily, victim of the attacks of his lust. The last thing on his mind since his drastic transformation had been physical pleasure, but the events of the last two cycles had proven him wrong. It hadn't been a moment of weakness, but several. Now that his mind was considerably calmer and centred, he wondered if he would fall into such bestial behaviour again. He grimaced when he realized he didn't have an answer.

The battle between instinct and reason had never been so explicit. Descending to levels worthy of an animal was degrading, as was the heat he was feeling between his legs. He hated himself more than ever when he realized he would have liked to have the femme beneath him, sheltering his every-moment-harder masculinity.

"Do you ever stay down, you disgusting thing?" he snarled, looking toward his crotch.

He shook his head, realizing how ridiculous it was to actually talk to his intimate circuitry, and decided to lie on the ground, using his jacket and shirt to prevent touching the dirt with his skin.

For some reason, he wasn't feeling uncomfortable or anxious. The crackle of the fire and the soft song of the terrestrial insects around him had a peaceful effect on his normally agitated mood. The stars above him increased the feeling, bringing back the ancient days in which he was nothing but a science student filled with dreams, when war was still an impossible nightmare and his young processor still believed in peace.

He grimaced in disgust, feeling ridiculous for remembering such shameful times. His days of naïve innocence were very far away, but it seemed that his human condition made him easy prey for those memories. He had suspected it before, but now he was sure that being a fleshling was distorting his mind as much as it had distorted his body. He felt a shiver when he thought about how much that could affect him. He didn't want to return to his true body and discover that something inside of him had changed without the possibility of return.

"Ah, slag!" he screamed when he felt a sharp pain on his arm and pushed himself upwards, assuming a sitting position again. He saw the small insect walking on his left bicep and carefully grasped it between two fingers, bringing it closer to the bonfire to examine it.

An ant, he knew about those little bugs. Small as a particle but now he knew it had a very painful bite.

He tossed the ant into the fire, realizing that maybe it wouldn't be a good idea to spend the night there after all. Nature confirmed his thoughts when some drops of water started to fall over him.

Great, it was going to rain again.

Starscream got on his feet and put the shirt and jacket on. He then mounted his motorcycle and departed, not sparing a single memory for the abandoned bonfire that he left behind.

_To be continued._


	20. Objects, heights and instincts

**Chapter 19**

**Objects, heights and instincts**

Starscream lifted his head from the water and rubbed his closed eyes with the back of his hand. He had finished washing himself several minutes ago, but being inside that bath tub was a very pleasant experience, as much as he hated to admit it. For the umpteenth time he repeated to himself that a human bath couldn't be compared to a decent immersion into an energon tank, but, also for the umpteenth time, he had to accept that it would take some time for him to return to his former pleasures. In the meantime, he would have to content himself with whatever humanity could offer.

Finally he made up his mind about abandoning the warm water and stood up, reaching for an adjacent towel and starting to dry the liquid dripping down his body.

He stopped in front of the mirror on the wall and examined his face. He nodded slowly, approving of what he saw. The swelling on his right cheek had decreased, almost completely disappearing. As for his torso, it was still sore, but considerably less than before. He wondered if all humans healed as quickly as he apparently did. Their self-repair circuits weren't as lame as he had thought in the beginning.

He put the towel over his shoulders and proceeded to the bed, where a small collection of human items awaited. He had bought some of them during the morning, others were objects he had found in the hotel room he was currently occupying, but all represented the unavoidable immersion into humanity he knew he had to undertake. Besides, just because he was a fleshling didn't mean he had to renounce whatever comfort he could find.

He had spent the morning and afternoon after his fight observing humans, hearing them talk between themselves and buying items he considered useful. As a result, scattered on his bed in a methodical order, were two portable computers – one of them disassembled – a cellular phone, a wrist watch, a red and white motorcycle helmet, one pair of shades, a map of Oregon and another one of Washington, a small toolbox, a local newspaper, five packages of blueberry cereal bars, three cans of grape juice and an entire set of new clothes. Aligned by size on the small table beside the bed, there were some toiletries, and the knife he had purchased the evening before.

That was not even the start of the list he had made of his basic needs, but he hadn't planned to stay in that hotel more than one day. Before settling in somewhere, he had to make sure he was going to continue breathing. Megatron was expecting results in less than twenty four hours, and he knew by experience that angering his leader was not a good idea.

Night was beginning to fall and he would have to meet with his wingmates in less than two terrestrial hours, as a very annoying communication from Skywarp had confirmed earlier that day when he had been trying to sleep a little.

But rest would also have to wait. Since his second night in the human Stella's dwelling – in which the last thing he had done was sleep – he had barely had time to close his eyes and try to enter recharge mode. He had been very busy with his research about human habits and vocabulary, current priorities if he didn't want to call unnecessary attention.

He proceeded to get dressed. Clothes were still uncomfortable to use, but he was much more satisfied with his new garments than with the previous ones. He remembered Stella had mentioned something about some _Calvin Klein _underwear, so that had been one of his first targets when renewing his outfit that morning. He had also learned that brands were important to humans. Logically, a fleshling with a major social status would acquire more expensive assets. So it was also logical that he went for garments with more digits on their price tags. He ended up buying a couple of Tommy Hillfiger jeans, some Hugo Boss shirts and a blue Armani jacket. His new Nike sneakers also seemed considerably more expensive than the ones Stella had given him before, but as he looked at himself in the mirror when he finished dressing up, Starscream considered that, for the first time since had been turned into human, he had an appearance that didn't make him feel repulsion.

Running a hand through his damp hair, Starscream turned away from his image and made his way back to the bed. Sitting on the edge sent the remaining assortment of objects bouncing forward slightly, as if attracted by magnets. He eyed them warily before pushing the majority of them aside, save the intact computer which he lifted into his lap and switched on.

The device whirred into life; he immediately wished he had let it 'sleep' when he had finished with it earlier, the speed at which it loaded was so frustratingly slow.

"Slagging primitive technology," he hissed as he pulled himself further onto the bed and leaned back against the headboard.

It hadn't taken him long at all to work out how to operate the laptop when he had returned to the hotel room earlier that day. In truth, he could have done it in his recharge, hands tied behind his back and blindfolded. Accessing the humans' communication network – the internet as they referred to it – had been a simple task too, and thus he had made good use of his time researching the flehlings' economic, cultural and legal systems.

Necessity brought about by his obsession with hygiene had driven him to the bath tub for the second time that day, but now he was suitably clean again, it was time to work.

The idea had come to him the evening before, when the night embraced his form and the wind played in his hair and shirt...pride and freedom momentarily restored... It was amazing what such things could do for one's imagination.

His earlier research had supported his thinking, the soak in the bath adding clarity and certainty.

Now all he had to do was arrange it all, his fingers already working on step one: seek assistance.

……………..

"Well, where is he? We've been waiting for Screamer for more than three breems now, and no trace of the little squid so far," Skywarp complained as he got up for the tenth time from the mount of containers he was sitting on.

"He's on his way. Check your radar. His tracking signal is approaching at 110 terrestrial miles per hour."

"Talk to me in Cybertronian, would you TC? All I know is that this place bores me to the core. There aren't even humans close to juggle with."

"Unnecessary attention is exactly what we don't want, Warp. And stop complaining. Starscream has arrived."

One moving light stood out within the dull illumination the scarce lamps provided. The newcomer decreased his speed and skidded right at Thundercracker's feet.

"Nice wheels, Screamer," Skywarp sneered, glancing with disdain at Starscream's motorcycle. "What's that? Some sort of vehicle for human sparklings? Are you using diapers now too?"

"Looks like Groove's alternate mode," Thundercracker said.

Starscream turned off the engine of his bike, took off the helmet and dismounted. "Whatever I found to mobilize is not of your concern. Besides, I won't keep this vehicle for long. I suspect it's not legal and it's my intention to keep a low profile."

Skywarp trapped Starscream by the neck of his jacket and lifted him up toward his face. "So what have you been doing, princess? Hey, you changed your clothes, right? You should've told me and I would've got you a nice dress…"

"Stop talking nonsense and put me down! If there is one thing I don't miss it's your idiotic sense of humour, Skywarp."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," the black Seeker retorted as he placed Starscream on the roof of the warehouse beside them. "So, have you had some kinky human interfacing already? With whom? Femmes, males, dogs?"

Starscream shot him a hateful look before turning his head toward Thundercracker.

"In this device," he said, extracting a little gadget from his jacket and handing it to Thundercracker, "you will find two files. One is directed to Megatron, which you will deliver as soon as you return to the Nemesis. It explains the basics of my plan and also the assistance I require."

"Hey, Megatron said he wouldn't move a finger to help you," Skywarp said.

"He will if he wants this to work! Not even our fearless leader can be as stupid as to deny the chance to get rid of the Autobots once and for all just because he hates me."

"What's in the other file?" Thundercracker asked.

"That's for you two dolts. I need a couple of favours and I can't acquire them by myself with the primitive technology I can access from here. Thundercracker, you will enter my personal computer and hack the human network. You will create a bank account for me from there, as well as a security number, drivers license, and other identity requirements that are specified in the file. In order to infiltrate the Autobots, Sean Latta has to actually exist."

"Wait! What will I do?" Skywarp asked.

Starscream rolled his eyes. "You can polish my collection of weapons if you get bored. Now, you'll find precise instructions as how to access my computer and how to open that bank account in the file…"

"Hey!" Skywarp insisted. "I could do that too. I mean, I'm not a computer geek like you but human technology is a piece of energon cake for me. Besides, I've hacked your computer before. You have a nice collection of video files of femmes interfacing, let me tell you that!"

Starscream blushed. "I have no such thing!"

"Oooh, you can bet your tiny organic aft that you do! I also saw all those pics you have of Moonracer, and that special hidden file you have with images of Megatron… Now that would be a kinky threesome, don't you think?"

Starscream raised his arms by instinct, like expecting to have his rifles to bathe Skywarp with a good dose of null rays.

"Thundercracker," he growled. "Why did you have to bring him?"

The blue Seeker shrugged his shoulders. "You didn't say otherwise."

Skywarp burst into laughter. "And even if you'd had, you're nothing but a little fleshling now, remember Screamer? More like our pet than our trine leader. Oh, I forgot, you're not leader anymore."

Thundercracker elbowed the black and purple Seeker hard in the chest plate before returning his attention to the small fleshling glaring maliciously at them.

"Just ignore Skywarp," he said, following his own advice and taking no note of the string of insults coming from his wingmate. "The slagger's been acting like an aft head all cycle. To be honest, I think he's missing you."

"Oh, how incredibly touching," Starscream said sarcastically.

"Hey, frag you scum sucker!" Skywarp exclaimed as he finished his rant and suddenly realised what had been said. "It's this one here that's been missing you, not me!"

Starscream kicked at the roof impatiently, sending a selection of leaves and twigs showering over the edge.

"Look, was there anything else you wanted because I've got better things to do with my time than standing here listening to you two morons carrying on like deranged sparklings. I've given you my orders and..."

"Ahh, sorry Screamer, but I don't take orders from you anymore, remember?" Skywarp interrupted. "We're equals now, squishy. Although, I'm not sure how a squishy could..."

"Listen here, you worthless piece of scrap. I _am_ your superior, no matter what you may think or what Megatron says. So pay attention, fool. You _will_ treat me with respect and you _will_ follow my orders, or so help me Primus you _won't_ live to regret your subordination. Do you understand me?

"Yes, Screamer. Gee, no need to be such a whiny glitch..."

"And _don't_ call me Screamer!"

"And don't call me Screamer," Skywarp echoed mockingly. "Ha, I hadn't noticed how funny your voice sounds as a squishy."

"Alright, that's enough now, 'Warp," Thundercracker said severely. "So Starscream, how are things going, anyway?"

"Oh, just brilliantly," he hissed cynically. "It would be better if I didn't have you two glitches to deal with. Or Soundwave's slagging runts. Or slagging Megatron."

"Soundwave's runts? Don't tell me the slagger's sent them to tail you?"

"No, well, not that I'm aware of. No, it was Rumble and Frenzy, the little fraggers decided to comm. me, just to be pests."

"Typical. Well, aside from all that, then?"

"Like I said, brilliantly."

Thundercracker scowled at hearing Starscream's response; he knew his leader was an ornery glitch at times but he wished he wouldn't be so stubborn for once in his life.

"So how did you acquire your transportation?" he pushed, hoping to coax a little more information from the small human.

"I purchased it, you fool," he said in reply.

"Looks like a piece of slag to me, Screamer," Skywarp chimed in.

"You purchased it?" Thundercracker continued, ignoring his wingmate again. "So I take it you did find a way to obtain human credits, then? One that doesn't require my help?"

"Of course I did."

"And? Are you gonna tell us how you got them?"

Starscream sniffed indignantly. "By winning in a human gladiatorial match, if you must know."

Skywarp erupted in laughter. "You're...you're slaggin' joking me, right?" he managed to ask between snorts.

"What's so slagging funny about that, moron?!" Starscream shrieked.

"You...a pathetic little squishy...fighting other little squishies...I...it's just..." Skywarp couldn't say anything more, bending over himself in hysterics.

"Starscream, I don't think that's such a good idea," Thundercracker said, concern in his voice.

"Why not? I'm stronger than any slagging flesh creature on this measly planet, beating them now is just as easy as it was in my true form."

"I'm not so sure about _that_. But seriously, Starscream, won't that draw too much attention to you?"

"Not if our glorious leader leaves me well alone!"

"Uhh, what? What does Megatron have to do with it?"

"Damn slagger decided that he would comm. me right in the middle of the fight!"

"Ohh...so that's what that was about," Skywarp said, still giggling. "You shoud have heard him..."

"He slagging broke my concentration! The fool, he needs to realise that I can't just drop everything and exchange niceties with him whenever he slagging feels like it. I can't be seen talking through my comm. link, the fragging humans will think I'm talking to myself!"

"Nothing new there, Screamer. You talk to yourself all the time. Oh...you do realise that no one ever listens to you when you open your mouth, right?"

Skywarp barely managed to avoid the large piece of roofing tile that came flying angrily towards his head.

"That's it!" Starscream exclaimed. "Thundercracker, get this sorry excuse for a trash compactor out of my sight before I'm forced to kill him."

"I'd like to see you try, Screamer ole pal," Skywarp said.

"I slagging mean it, Thundercracker! Get him the slag away from me, NOW! And don't bother contacting me until you have something for me, got it?"

As the two Cybertronians transformed and took to the night, Starscream felt an intense pang of jealousy rising in his chest. It was only when the darkness had embraced their bodies fully, stealing them from sight, that the young human suddenly realised his predicament.

"Oh, very funny, you Pit spawned slag suckers!" he screamed into the night. "And how the slag am I supposed to get down from here?!"

…………..

It was almost midnight when Starscream entered the north west quadrant of Portland, more specifically the area known as the Pearl District. He hadn't had the chance to explore the entire city yet, but the social differences were clear from the fancy zone in which his hotel was located and the industrial area in which he had started his human experience.

But rich or poor, both parts of the city shared the same annoyance: speed was forbidden. Driving at a lame fifty terrestrial miles per hour was starting to get on his nerves. He had thought about speeding on the highways before returning to the hotel, but he needed a good night of recharge before facing the next day. His plan needed to be set in motion immediately if he wanted success, not to mention to save his life from Megatron's impatience.

A red light on one corner forced him to stop. Among his vast list of hates, following obtuse rules had a special place near the top. But he had no choice, he wouldn't get anywhere if he got himself arrested for petty offenses against the humans' laws.

Night life was very crowded at that hour. Young humans could be spotted everywhere, some of them obviously under the effects of high grade. Starscream couldn't have cared less, although he was immediately attracted to some of the females, most of them far more beautiful than Stella. Perhaps, just perhaps, he could afford to spend some of his time with one or two of them… In the end, he had always considered himself as the only one qualified to decide what was wrong and what was not. And concerning pleasure, he had always been a hunter.

Still lost in those thoughts, he barely noticed a yellow vehicle parking beside him. Then he heard the noise that no other human would recognize, the buzz of energon flowing through a metallic body that was alive. He turned aside and almost fell from his bike when he saw the red badge on the car's chassis.

His heart started to beat faster, as his hands tightened their grip on the motorcycle's handlebars. He had to calm down. He was human now, there was no way the Autobots would recognize him, he was wearing a helmet…

Besides, apparently there was only one Autobot, and the weakest of all for that matter. Judging from the relaxed way in which Bumblebee's doors opened, the runt was there for amusement purposes. The music coming from his insides and the laughter of the male human he was always carrying confirmed Starscream's impression.

It was such a pathetic image, the Autobot loser and his pet wasting their time on idiotic native social activities… Starscream scowled and shook his head. Certainly he would never…

Bumblebee's other door opened.

And it was then when Starscream saw _her_.

The other Autobot pet, the yellow haired femme… He knew her of course, he had seen her two or three times before, had been condemned to the well by her in fact, but for some reason it was like if he was seeing her for the first time in his life.

Before, he had never noticed her small waist, her smooth skin, her delicate facial features, her firm breasts, the way the wind played with her hair…

Another organ of Starscream's body started to beat in response, totally surpassing the pounding of his heart. And he knew it, he saw it as clear as crystal.

He wanted that femme.

And he would have her.

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_To be continued._

_Thanks for reading. Please let us know your opinions, always helpful for future chapters :o)_


	21. Reunions and Bloodlust

**Chapter 20**

**Reunions and Bloodlust**

Starscream wasn't sure why he had returned to the north side of the city, why he was renouncing a much needed recharge cycle to contemplate once again one of the many decadent sights of the human society.

It seemed that every city of planet Earth shared such drastic social differences, so like the ancient Golden Era of Cybertron, during which all the important cities were populated only by politically correct mechs living together in harmony, whilst the scum of society was kept away from sight.

A couple of humans fighting this way, others inhaling inebriating substances that way, one screechy female claiming she had been robbed at a corner…

It was perhaps a sick feeling of nostalgia. That part of the human settlement Portland, so obviously dysfunctional, reminded him of Kaon.

Kaon before the war, Kaon when Starscream was nothing but an ambitious dreamer…

There were vices too, in Kaon, vices beyond the wildest perversions. And Starscream had submerged himself in those vices, even learned to relish in them, finding his way to survive whilst standing out among a group of losers whose destiny was doomed.

And right when he had thought he was on his way to the top, just when he was standing on the anteroom of greatness… he had fallen. And now there he was, turned into one of the most insignificant creatures of the Universe, stripped of everything he was and had owned, brought back to his roots.

He had started that way too, dealing, stealing, murdering, using others to his advantage, trusting no one but himself… How ironic life was, how ironic it was being to him.

"Hey, hey buddy, hey!"

Starscream stopped his motorcycle and stared at the skinny and untidy young male that was waving his hands at him.

Johnny ran and reached him, panting with the effort. "Ah… ah… ah… it's you, right friend? I didn't recognize you with the helmet… but ah… that's the bike I got you, right?"

Starscream removed his helmet. "A machine that is not legal, I assume."

Johnny smiled. "Heh, don't worry about that pal. The owner won't be needing it soon, he's kinda… you know, badly wasted. By the time he wakes up, if he does, I'll cut my left ball off if he even remembers he had a bike, hee hee.... By the way friend, I heard about your fight with Maximus! Wow! It was you, right? Since the moment I first saw you, I said to myself, hey Johnny, now this is a tough guy, someone you can trust in. But hey, nice to see you around, buddy. I didn't expect to see you so soon but I did what you asked me."

Starscream frowned. He had completely forgotten about this human worm whose vocalizer was so definitely out of order.

"A place, remember?" Johnny continued. "You told me to get you a place and you'd give me some dough. Well, there's this friend of mine, who kinda owns a little building two blocks from here. See it?" the young man pointed toward a four-floor settlement that had definitely seen better times. "I crash there sometimes, when I have nowhere else to go, but thing is that he always has rooms for guys like you, you know, who don't want to be bothered and don't care about their neighbors? Thirty bucks a night and you got yourself a nice place, no questions asked, you know?"

Starscream considered the human's words. He hadn't planned to stay in that zone of the city after trying the accommodations of the hotel he was staying in, but somehow he felt more protected there, wrapped by crime and secrecy. As much as he loved the luxuries his former status granted him, he had never forgotten the unique shelter a dark city could provide. Besides, it wouldn't be bad to have some place to hide in case he needed it, even if he wasn't planning on actually residing in it.

"Whatever… But tell me something, Johnny. Have you heard about these… machines… cars that have life?"

"Woah… oh yeah… you mean the robots? Who hasn't? See, some people say they are like alien and shit, but I'm sure they're Japanese."

"Have you seen them? Do they come to this part of the city often?"

"Hell, no. I mean, sometimes they come to patrol and shit, but they usually hang around more to the south, you know? They're like heroes and shit… I saw two once, though, they caught the Bugs when they were smashing a pawn shop. Oh man… those two-chip fuckers busted aaaaaall the Bugs gang by themselves. You know the Bugs, right? Kane's gang took over after they were gone."

Starscream frowned. Of course, with the Ark being so close to Portland, it was to be expected that the Autobots were recurrent visitors. After all, he just had encountered Bumblebee outside some youth dance club.

"I see…" he said. "Here are your new orders, worm: go to that place you just showed me and make it habitable. I may use it sometime, I don't know when, but it could be anytime."

"Sure, whatever you say friend… But I'll need some cash to make it comfortable for you, you know?"

Starscream extracted three of his last one hundred dollar bills from his jacket and extended them to the young man. "There are more where these came from, Johnny, many more. If you're smart, you'll do exactly as I say, and you'll keep receiving them."

Johnny took the money with a big smile. "Wow, yes! I'm your man, buddy. Whatever you need, all you have to do is ask Johnny."

……….

Johnny had barely made it ten metres down the footpath when he suddenly stopped still, turned and came scuttling back like a disturbed insect. His face seemed paler than before, dark rings highlighting his now wide, bloodshot eyes.

"Oh shit...shit..." he muttered frantically, skirting around Starscream and cowering behind him. The Decepticon immediately moved away from him.

"And what the slag is wrong with you?" Starscream said without the slightest hint of concern. "You've got your orders, and if you want to live to see the morning then I'd suggest you go and see to them."

"T-there...look...oh shit...it's them...it's them...fuck, they're...they're fuckin' gonna kill me..." Johnny continued, pointing down the road. He ducked behind Starscream again, clutching onto his arm like a terrified sparkling.

"I thought I made it clear last time that you are _not_ to touch me," Starscream said irritably, shaking off Johnny's grip.

"I...I'm sorry buddy...but...but you gotta help me... Fuck...I...I don't wanna die..."

Starscream glared at the creature cringing behind him; the pathetic display of cowardice bringing about a sick sense of satisfaction to the ex-Seeker. It wasn't the first time he'd held someone's life in his hands, although normally he wasn't the one apparently charged with saving it.

Slowly, he lifted his gaze and looked in the direction that Johnny had pointed. Sporadic streetlights cast a sickly, yellowed glow down the length of the street, throwing the pavement into wedges of contrast. Without his advanced optical sensors it took him a moment to find anything out of the ordinary; a couple of upturned rubbish bins, a car up on bricks...

And then he saw them.

The unmistakable forms of Frank and Pete; Kane's lackeys. Starscream snarled.

"Shit," Johnny whimpered, the short, dirty fingernails of his right hand finding their well-known place between stained teeth. His body began to shake violently, replacing his usual agitated tremor with one of absolute fear.

"What, you're afraid of those two morons?" Starscream mocked as he returned his attention to Johnny. "I suppose those two brutes would pose a threat to a worm like you… Although why anybody would want to waste their energy on you will remain a mystery to me."

"Buddy…please…please, you gotta help me…" Johnny said, pulling Starscream into the darkness of an alley. "I…I don't have the merch, I…I got desperate and kinda used it…thought I'd have the cash to cover it by now…shit…"

"Do _not_ touch me or I swear the punishment I deliver will be far worse than anything those two creatures do to you."

"Uhh…four…there's four of them…"

Starscream peered surreptitiously around the corner. Frank and Pete were now dangerously close to their location, not that it bothered the Decepticon in the slightest, yet he still couldn't detect the presence of the two other humans Johnny had alluded to. He closed his eyes for a minute in frustration before checking again; and the he saw a movement in the shadows.

"Slaggit!" he cursed under his breath as the dark outlines of two burly men made themselves clear in the shadows, he would never have missed them if he still had his radars…

"See…see, I told you…shit, they're gonna fuckin' kill me…"

"Johnny!!" the angry voice of Pete bellowed.

"So, you owe them credits for the 'merch' you stole?" Starscream asked cynically.

"No…no friend…I didn't steal it…honest!! I…I was gonna pay for it, but a deal fell through…"

"We know you're here, faggot! Come on, show us your pretty face!"

"Sounds to me like you stole from them. In which case you deserve to die."

And with that, Starscream pushed Johnny out of the relative safety of the alley, right into the path of his impending doom.

..............

Johnny squealed in pure terror as he fell over a dustbin and landed hard on his hands and knees. The young drug addict didn't have time to find his feet as a rough hand grasped the lapel of his brown jacket, lifting him into the air like a rag doll.

"Please…please don't hurt me," he begged piteously as the unknown man carried him to where Frank and Pete were standing with their second accomplice.

From his hiding place in the alley, Starscream smirked. He had always found pleasure in other people's torture; even in his youth the spectacle of a one-sided street brawl awakened the senses as much as a gladiatorial match did. He had never been able to explain exactly why that was, but he suspected it was the delicious stench of fear…intoxicating like nothing else.

His expression deepened as he watched the unknown, hairless brute land two brutal punches in Johnny's abdomen, causing him to cry out in pain. The other man, brown-haired and bearded, now held his victim captive in an unforgiving headlock.

"Enough, Roger!" Frank said as a third blow found its mark. "Tony, release the fucker."

The bearded man dubbed Tony complied with the command, viciously throwing Johnny to the ground. Whimpering, the young man immediately cowered, covering his head with two shaking arms.

"So, faggot," Frank said, circling Johnny like a shark. "You owe us some money."

Johnny cowered further, if such a thing was possible, until it seemed his body would soon become absorbed in the pavement. "I…I…I do, yes…but…"

Frank kicked Johnny hard in the side, causing him to cry out again. "I don't like 'buts', Johnny. Where's the cash?"

"I…I don't have it…not all of it…I'm sorry… But I'll get it, my friend…I promise you will have it…and more…just please…let me go…please…"

"Not all of it?" Another kick. "Well, how much do you have, then, faggot?"

"Ahh…ahh…three…three hundred…"

And another kick. "What do you take us for, Johnny-boy? Three hundred…that's not even half of what you owe."

"I'll get you the rest…I promise…"

Starscream leaned in closer as Frank gestured to his companions, all three of them acknowledging the silent communication by withdrawing sharp knives from within their garments.

"What is it they say, Pete?" he said maliciously as he too pulled a knife; cleverly concealed within the cast around his hand and arm. "A pound of flesh…?"

"No! No…please… I'll do anything! Anything!"

"You've had your chances, asshole," Pete said. "Time to pay up."

Starscream shivered in anticipation; he had come across the origins of this 'pound of flesh' concept whilst studying human cultures and he knew it meant torture, suffering, blood…

He moved forward slowly, desperate for a better view. However, it seemed that fate once again had different ideas as a pile of cardboard boxes beside him decided to collapse; his front row seat suddenly becoming centre stage.

………

All eyes focused on Starscream, who suddenly stood stock still like an animal caught in the headlights. Internally he was berating himself, however, after a few moments of silence he was able to compose himself well enough to speak evenly.

"Well, well, well, look who it is," he said. "Imagine finding you two here."

He moved defiantly into the centre of the gathering as four knives raised against him, their sharp blades gleaming in the night.

"You picked the wrong night to fuck with us, pretty boy," Frank said, advancing. "You're gonna pay for what you did, got that cock sucker?"

Starscream regarded the red-head, smirking at the sight of his damaged hand. "Oh yes, I can see that you mean that."

"And when he's done with you, it's gonna be my turn to fuck you up," Pete hissed, moving to stand at Frank's side.

"Yes, I can see why you'd think that."

A bloodied bandage adorned Pete's face, brown stains highlighted on white gauze, surrounded by a sea of purple, swollen skin. He looked hideous, a pulpy mass brought to life, and it suddenly struck Starscream that he too should have resembled something similar.

"You see this knife here? Well, it's gonna open up some new holes in that pretty little body of yours."

"Oh, do you really think so?" Starscream said as he pulled his own knife from a jacket pocket. "Because I think you are the ones that will be sporting new holes, not me."

Suddenly, Starscream was grasped from behind, pulled into a headlock by the creature known as Roger. Taken by surprise the ex-Seeker couldn't prevent his capture, but his unnatural speed and strength allowed him kick out brutally, sending an approaching Frank to the ground with a sickening crack. It didn't escape his attention that Johnny was now nowhere to be seen.

"You're…fucking dead!" Frank gasped as Pete rushed forward to take his place. "Fuck…I…I can't breathe…"

Twisting about wildly, Starscream managed to avoid the blade that moved menacingly towards him. As he broke Roger's hold, he pulled the man forward, directly into the path of Pete's falling arm.

Roger howled as Pete immediately withdrew the knife, sending a torrent of violent red streaming to the ground. His body followed the movement and he landed heavily, a string of expletives mixing freely with the cries of pain.

Starscream laughed viciously, relishing the look of surprise on Pete's disfigured face. "Oh, bravo!" he mocked, kicking Roger hard in the side. "Your fighting skills are truly worthy of your pathetic existence. But I must say, it does remind me of a few other morons I've had the misfortune of knowing…"

Pete lunged at him a second time; Tony did the same from the right. A blade found Starscream's forearm as he ducked and pushed his way between his two attackers, his new jacket, much to his chagrin, baring the brunt of the damage. His own knife flashed hungrily as it tasted blood for the first time, lodging deeply in Tony's thigh. Like Roger before, the thin, bearded man screamed and fell crumpled to the ground.

But Pete remained standing, and within seconds was rushing towards him again. A fine trail of blood made itself felt as it dripped slowly from his own cut, warm and viscous. But he knew it wasn't serious, well acquainted with pain he didn't need to see it to know it was nothing more than a mere scratch.

"You think you can beat me?" Starscream goaded as he took hold of Pete's wrist.

"I use faggots like you as practice, asshole," Pete replied as he grabbed Starscream's arm. "You got lucky last time, that won't happen again."

"Oh really, fleshling?"

The pair struggled for several moments, wrists captured and locked in a stalemate. Realising he wasn't making any progress he kicked out at Pete's abdomen, forcing him backwards and breaking himself free.

As the dark-haired brute struggled to his feet again, Starscream moved to the place where Tony lay helpless. "Aww, what's the matter, maggot? Can't get up? What a shame…"

Without a second thought he kicked the middle-aged man in the head, rendering him unconscious in an instant. Placing a foot on Tony's chest, Starscream pulled his knife free and wiped it clean on his jeans.

"Three down," Starscream said as he sucked in air. "Come on, worm, give me a challenge!"

Suddenly, time seemed to stop. Starscream had been about to pounce when Pete pulled a gun from his jacket and levelled it; despite his superior speed Starscream was almost certain he couldn't outrun a bullet.

He hesitated.

Then he felt it, a hand on his left shoulder, spinning him around.

And a knife, waiting to receive his right shoulder, piercing his flesh without remorse.

Starscream couldn't repress the cry of pain that escaped his lips as he fell to his knees, the weapon still residing in his muscles.

Frank…

He had been foolish enough to assume he was down for the count…and the Pit-spawned fragger had taken his opportunity when he had allowed himself to be distracted by Pete's gun…

The world seemed to swirl about him as he heard Kane's two lieutenants departing, leaving behind the still writhing Roger and now unconscious Tony. In truth he was surprised they weren't taking the chance to finish him there and then, however, he suspected they might have had orders from Kane concerning that.

Starscream cried out again as he took hold of the knife and pulled it from his shoulder, despite its sharp nature it resisted a moment before sliding out smoothly. Swaying dangerously as he stood slowly, Starscream looked down at his shaking hand, now sticky with blood. He extended his fingers painfully, moved his elbow and then the shoulder itself, and despite the instant agony the movement brought, it confirmed in his mind that it wasn't as serious as it could have been.

But the loss of blood was a problem…a problem he wasn't sure he could deal with on his own.

_To be continued._

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_Thanks for all your reviews__, all your comments are highly appreciated. We are currently working on the next update, so it should be around here soon._


	22. Pain and Pleasure

_As Starscream's moment of truth is approaching, he is being forced to face the human in front of a mirror. Now that the initial shock is over, now that the sight of flesh is starting to become normal, the real impact of his drastic transformation is taking shape in his mind. As much as we are trying to keep him in character during this story, we are also trying to imagine believable reactions to situations he's facing for the first time. A lot has been written about Starscream, but the best way to interpret his complex personality is to go the original sources. Although we are writing G1 Starscream, we are also taking bits from all his versions, cartoon, movies and comics included. We are aware that there are people that disagree with us, and we welcome diversity of opinions. However, we highly believe human nature is more powerful than stereotypes. We hope you enjoy the following chapters, every one very important to the development of future events._

_Thank you very much for reading and reviewing. Sometimes we don't have the time to reply all of your comments, but everyone is very important to us :o)_

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**Chapter 21**

**Pain and Pleasure**

Blood stained the pavement where Starscream had fallen, a vibrant pool of red to match the one a few metres behind him. A string of irregular rubies dotted their way between and beyond them, working their way to the dark corner in which a young human male sat huddled and shivering.

The silhouettes in the windows had disappeared like spectres of his imagination; macabre curiosity a far cry from anything that could be considered concern. But what was to be expected when brown stains on the street spoke of past bloodshed; it was always possible to grow cold and accustomed to the suffering of others when it was waved like a flag of conquest before the eyes of the condemned.

But Starscream understood that; he understood the concept better than any of those pathetic flesh creatures that moved with habit to and from the windows, their apartments looming above him like silent sentries. After all, he had seen it all before. Kaon had taught him well, granting him the dual roles of victim and aggressor, providing him with an insight many would never be blessed with.

Blessed or damned...it was the same thing in the end.

Finding the strength to move again, he lifted his left arm and peeled back his jacket; sticky with blood it came away like latex, revealing a stained shirt clinging tightly to a gaping wound. Starscream hissed with pain as he pulled the fabric away, tearing the garment so that he might gain better access to his damaged flesh, to his badge of shame and weakness...

"_Stupid slagging fool..."_ he cursed himself as he leaned his head back against the brick wall, allowing the white fog of unconscious to dissipate once again. He had already succumbed once, lying in the street like a worthless piece of scrap for Primus knew how long; there was no way he would give in a second time.

As colour returned to his field of vision, Starscream brought his attention back to his shoulder. With tentative fingers he traced the outline of the wound, feeling its slippery, raised edges, the warmth of his flesh and the vital fluid still trickling forth in partially clotted rivulets. Pain surged through him, acid spears on a spider's web, and he repressed his need to cry out; there was no one to hear him anyway.

He didn't know what to do; it wasn't the first time he had been wounded, it wasn't the first time he had been left alone to suffer... But his new body presented him with new questions and uncertainties – was the thickening of his blood a good thing? Was he going to die?

Starscream knew humans were fragile creatures, but he had never really paid any attention to the levels of damage they could sustain before being faced with termination; a dead human was a good human and thus he had always gone for the maximum.

For the first time in his life he cursed his malicious nature...if only he had been more observant.

He felt like a fool.

A fool for his ignorance, a fool for his arrogance, a fool for his stupidity...

There was no doubt in Starscream's mind that his transformation had changed his mental capacity too, it was the only explanation for his moment of hesitation and thus his current situation. He shook his head, groaning in pain as he did so.

What was he supposed to do now, cold, alone and quite possibly bleeding to death? He pressed his palm against his wound, unsure of what he was doing, and immediately regretted the action. But despite the agony, he kept it in place; if nothing else the extended pain would remind him to stay online, would remind him to keep functioning, to keep fighting...

To find help...

He thought of Johnny; the pathetic earth germ that was to blame for all of this. Perhaps the simpering creature was still lingering in the shadows, awaiting another scrap of attention like a starving empty crawling through the streets of Kaon. Starscream opened his mouth to call him; yes, he had condemned him, but he knew that if Johnny heard his cry for help the shivering human would be there in an instant. There for his scraps, there for the blood-stained dollar bills that would come in exchange for his help...

The Decepticon shook his head with a grimace. No...what was he thinking? Seeking assistance from such a miserable excuse for life...? It was one thing to have him seek out accommodations for him, but to heal him...to touch him...?

No way.

He closed his eyes, deep in thought.

_Hospital_...

That was the place that Stella had mentioned the night they had met; the place that she couldn't afford to take him. The human equivalent of a Repair Bay... Starscream opened his eyes again. Yes, that was where he needed to go...

Although...

He didn't know where it was. He grimaced, another groan escaping his lips.

And another problem...

He wasn't fully human. What if they detected his true form? The idea was worse than a death sentence; being discovered would mean the end of his mission, would mean the end of any chance he had of regaining Cybertronian his body...

No. It wasn't an option...

Gritting his teeth, Starscream focussed all his energy on his legs. Using the wall as a brace, he forced himself onto his feet and suddenly felt as if the world were spinning around him. The cold night air embraced him painfully, sending tingles through his numbed limbs.

With shivering fingers he pulled his jacket back over his shoulder and zipped it up as a barrier to the night. Easing himself away from the wall Starscream took a defiant step forward...and another...and another...

A smirk formed on his lips. He didn't need anybody's help.

Another step.

He was Starscream; wounded, but a Cybertronian god nonetheless...

And another...

A god that had never needed anybody's help before...that never would.

White fog began to drift into the street, melding with the dark shadows, filling Starscream's field of vision with a stark landscape of contrasts. The buildings around him began to sway, or perhaps it was his own body, and the sky began to enclose around him like a suffocating hand.

He cried out in defeat as his knees hit the pavement, sending another wave of pain through his shivering body.

He had been wrong.

He needed help...

Shaking his head, Starscream tried to gain his bearings again. He knew there was no way he'd be able to balance on his motorbike in his current condition, thus he had to find assistance close by. He looked towards the apartment Johnny had pointed out; perhaps Johnny's friend would be able to heal him.

Starscream turned his head and gazed blearily in the opposite direction. And then he suddenly realised where he was.

The dishevelled apartment block just a few streets away...

The human that had already healed him once...

Painfully, Starscream forced himself onto his feet again.

_Slagging fool..._

……….

Stella hadn't turned off the lights too long ago when she heard the irregular footsteps in the hallway.

Some drunk guy, probably Mister Stephenson returning home after having too much scotch once again. He had never been able to hold his drinks after all.

But the footsteps stopped right outside her apartment, followed by a fist that started to punch her door.

Stella got up from the bed and wrapped herself in her red night robe. She wasn't scared of who could it be; she had lived alone for too long to be afraid of strangers. But if the one knocking on her door was the one man she feared, she knew better than to keep him waiting outside.

Everybody had an owner, and a dog, she said to herself as she reached the door. As every whore had a pimp…

But she didn't find the face she feared when she opened the door. She didn't had time to enjoy her happiness, though, as her smile quickly disappeared.

"Sean! Oh my God, you're bleeding! What happened?!"

Sean entered, pushing her away and starting to unzip his jacket.

"It was my fault! My slagging, Pit-spawned fault! I should've never lowered my guard that way!"

"Were you… stabbed? Sean, this is serious! I have to take you to a hospital!"

"No hospitals!" he roared. "This injury doesn't seem very serious, but I need immediate attention. Repair me!"

Stella was too shocked to realize that, once again, he was speaking weird. She helped him to get rid of his bloody jacket and shirt and guided him to the big couch in her living room.

"Here," she said, making a ball with his shirt and giving it to him. "Put this against the wound and press hard. I'll get something to clean you up."

Sean did what she said and sat down, resting his back against the couch. He heard her moving some things in the wash room and in less than a minute she was back carrying a thin, metallic, white box and a small bowl of water.

"Fortunately for you I've seen this kind of wound before," she said, sitting beside him and uncovering his shoulder. "More times than I can count, actually…just comes with the job I guess... Now, this is important sugar. Did you get that with a dirty weapon, maybe rusty? I can help stop the bleeding but I can't prevent an infection."

He shook his head, allowing her to touch him. "It was a sharp weapon… a knife, but it wasn't rusty."

Stella began to wash his wound. "Who did this to you? Kane's men?"

"Do you know that Kane creature?"

She smiled slightly. "Honey, everybody knows Kane in this neighborhood… And some better than others. I kinda work for him, actually."

"I should've guessed."

"Kane controls everything here, Sean. I can't work the streets without his permission, and without him getting his weekly cut of course… You made a mistake defying him."

He frowned. "How do you know about that?"

"Everybody knows about the mysterious sexy guy who beat Maximus and Kane's closest lieutenants. You've suddenly become very famous around here, sugar."

"Just for beating the slag out of some greasy man? You certainly make a circus out of nothing."

She smiled again. "Maximus is not just some greasy man. He earned his nickname for a reason… But it doesn't surprise me that you defeated him. You're quite strong, Sean. I could see that the first night you came here."

Already out of the shock, Stella felt the unmistakable tingle of desire running through her veins once again. The proximity of his body gave her instant fever, her hands touching his skin wanted to do so much more than just cure him…

"See what I mean? You're not bleeding anymore, how strange. I was sure you'd need some stitches but I don't know anymore… Anyway, I'll clean you with alcohol now. Hold still, this will hurt."

He cringed slightly when she applied the cotton dampened with alcohol, but didn't complain. Stella didn't know why, but she had that strange feeling again, the feeling that he was experiencing all that for the first time.

"Okay, we're done…" she said, covering the wound with a bandage. "Be careful when you shower, try not to moisten it. My guess is that you'll be as good as new in about a week, maybe less, considering how fast you heal, although you will have a scar."

She got up when she finished, gathering everything she had used and putting it in the bowl, now filled with reddish water.

"Now just let me wash this and I'll fix you something. Are you hungry?"

She yelped in surprise and delight when he grasped her by the waist, the bowl falling to the carpet.

……………..

Once he realized he was in no danger because of the injury on his shoulder, Starscream stopped listening to what Stella was saying.

His attention was easily caught by her hands, healing him with so much care. Once he had swallowed his pride and accepted his situation, coming to her that night had been an easy decision. She had helped him before; there was no reason to think she wouldn't do it again.

And he hadn't been mistaken. She hadn't hesitated, just momentarily taken aback by the sight of him with his clothes soaked in blood – fortunately, not all of it actually belonged to him – but immediately had assisted him, washing and disinfecting the injury.

As she adjusted a bandage over his wound, Starscream straightened himself on the couch and fixated his eyes on the opening of the upper part of the piece of textile wrapping her body. He could see her breasts through that opening, at least a part of them. Perhaps there was no spark beneath them, but Starscream already knew that was his favourite part on a human female's body. How could it be that he had never noticed before how fascinating human breasts were?

When she got up, Starscream put his hands on her waist. She was saying something but he didn't listen, immediately focusing on the ribbon tying her night robe and undoing it.

The textile opened, exposing more of that skin he wanted to see. Beneath her night robe, she was not wearing anything but a small garment covering her intimate organs.

Her smell arrived at his nose, immediately seducing him. He knew it was disgusting, primitive at the best, but he was already starting to understand that some things concerning humanity were not made for reasoning. His body simply reacted, instinct taking the place of logic. The strange thing was that he was beginning to be comfortable with that chaotic way in which humans functioned.

He approached his face to Stella's stomach, touching it with his nose. Her scent was becoming more intense every moment, an open invitation. He wondered if the Autobots' female pet smelled like that. The thought caused him an immediate arousal.

He felt Stella's hands touching him, starting to caress his hair.

His hands moved too and pulled her underwear down. He wanted her so much at that moment. It was intoxicating.

Stella removed her night robe and lowered her body, her skin rubbing the fabric of his jeans. Starscream lifted his head and found the mouth of the naked woman sitting on his lap. He kissed her with increasing passion, feeling her flavour invading his mouth.

Her hands went down, helping him to get rid of the obstacle his pants had became. He didn't even feel when his jeans were unzipped, all he felt was the sudden freedom between his legs, his organic virility exposed only to find immediate shelter.

Without ceasing his kisses, Starscream grasped her by the waist once again and began to move inside her, feeling his desire increase even more with the sound of her first moans inside his own mouth. She embraced his neck as her body was charged powerfully by Starscream's insatiable masculinity. One of her hands went down, scratching his chest and finding his wounded shoulder.

Starscream was assaulted by pain, but his arousal only increased. Pain, pleasure… they were not that different, not when the one inflicting it was also the one who could heal it.

Starscream got up, his hands beneath her buttocks and his arousal never abandoning her delicious femineity. She embraced his torso with her legs as he put her against the blue fabric of the coach, pinning her down as both lovers existed only for passion for the next few hours.

_To be continued._


	23. Starscream's Master Plan, part 1

**Chapter 22**

**Starscream's Master Plan, part 1**

Megatron rubbed his chin as he stared at the data displayed on the computer screen of the War Room.

"What do you think, Soundwave?" he finally asked the silent mechanoid standing beside his throne.

"Probabilities of success: an enigma."

Megatron smirked. "Insanity does not compute, indeed. Starscream's plan is as crazy as Starscream himself, but that's nothing to be surprised by."

"Starscream's mental patterns: random. Conversion of his cybernetic processor into an organic brain has severely altered his thoughts. His behaviour: not reliable."

Megatron got up from his throne, still staring at the screen of the computer. "But then again, when has Starscream been reliable? At least he's aware of the Autobots' weaknesses and he's aiming for them. Weather he succeeds, however, is an entirely different matter."

The Decepticon leader's optics were shining maliciously when he turned to his Communications Officer. "So the little fragger is asking for assistance? His nerve has no limits… but I like that. It seems that his new human condition has done nothing but increase his already insolent nature. This shall be an interesting experiment to perform. Soundwave, dispatch Laserbeak to obtain the information Starscream is requesting."

"Will Starscream's petition for help be authorized?"

Megatron smirked. "In a way, yes. I'm curious about his little charade, I must admit… We will help him, but with some... minor changes to his original scheme. There's no reason why we can't have some amusement in the process, don't you agree?"

Soundwave's optic visor shone with evilness. Indeed, he wasn't against amusement.

"I knew you would approve, Soundwave. It's time to make some interesting additions to this child's game Starscream is playing. So, he requested Frenzy and Rumble… Not an illogical choice, but not the most interesting," Megatron said, giving his lieutenant an evil look. "Send Ravage."

Soundwave nodded, not exempt of satisfaction. Even though his stoic façade never showed it, one of the things he admired the most about his Commander was his twisted sense of humour, especially when it involved victimizing Starscream.

……..

Muffed voices arrived at Carly's ears as she started to succumb to the always welcomed land of pleasure. She had never understood why Spike liked to turn on the TV on Saturday nights, but she had learned to accept it, an insignificant detail in the end, compared to the unique communion of their bodies together.

Spike was tender, his caresses and kisses surpassing the slight disturbance of the sound of the advertisements spruiking an endless stream of products that Carly definitely didn't need. The lamp above them was another minor disturbance; suddenly she remembered she had been wanting to change it for weeks.

But what was house decorating compared to the proximity of her boyfriend's skin? As she moaned for the first time that Saturday night, Carly realized once again how special she was to him, how precious, how much of a jewel… Ever since the first time they had slept together, Spike had treated her like a delicate flower.

At first many things had been uncomfortable, like how he, unconsciously, discredited himself. He never said it openly, but he certainly thought that a wealthy heiress like her was too good for the son of a mechanic. More than the fact that he was younger than her, more than the immense difference of their life styles before finding each other, social gaps were heavy weights to overcome. Fortunately, the Autobots had filled those empty spaces, allowing Spike to offer her something more, something that no other human would be able to give her.

But she loved him for so much more than just his relationship with a group of marvellous alien robots. She was still too young to say it, but Carly was beginning to think that Spike was the one for her.

Her body was shaken suddenly when Spike reached the pinnacle of his pleasure. She felt his body tense above her, his closed eyes frowning at the release of his juvenile passions.

She smiled. As always, Spike arrived at ecstasy before her. But it didn't matter; they had begun their sexual experience very recently and there was still a world ahead of them to explore and discover together.

Spike grinned and kissed her on the mouth as soon as his orgasm finished, hurrying to lower his head and attach his lips to her neck, not willing to stop his labour of love until she met him on the other side of satisfaction.

His kisses were claiming her belly when Mahler's Symphony of a Thousand made him startle.

"What the… Carly, I thought you had turned off your phone."

She stretched to her night table to reach her mobile. "Mmmmh, I guess I forgot it…"

"Who is it? Not one of your ex-boyfriends I hope," he said, grinning.

Carly mirrored his gesture whilst she checked the message on the screen of her slim cell phone. "Mmmh, nope. It's from the guys at the Mayor's office, actually. They want to confirm the Autobots assistance with their charity event tomorrow night."

"Oh yeah, tell them Bumblebee and Hound are going. They were pretty enthusiastic about the idea."

Carly laughed. "You would think that Bumblebee is somehow tired of signing so many autographs, but he seems to like it."

"You know Bee, he enjoys being a superstar… Hey, why don't you hurry up and send that message already? We're not done here…"

Carly shook her head and hurried to comply, not worrying about a couple of typos. Her phone fell to the carpet as Spike got on top of her again, kissing her mouth and putting his hands into motion. Both young humans surrendered to their passion again, completely unaware of the robotic condor that took to the air once his mission was fulfilled.

……….

Starscream opened his eyes slowly, darkness dissipating to give way to the dull light of the urban night. He wasn't sure what had woken him, perhaps it was the chill of the air on his bare skin where the bedclothes had been pulled away, or maybe it was dull ache in his shoulder, the same spot where Stella's hand rested. Not that the cause really mattered; it was a pleasant feeling knowing he was considerably safe in that human's dwelling, one of the rare occasions where waking unexpectedly wasn't a precursor to pain.

A satisfied smile crept across his face as he glanced down at Stella's sleeping form, her naked body resting on his, her arms embracing him warmly. For a moment he felt compelled to caress her, to feel her soft skin beneath his fingers...although disgust was never far from his thoughts he was grateful he'd found this little object of pleasure... Even as a human, he still had it.

But this fleshling was much more than a toy, as much as he wished it could be otherwise. Watching her repair his wounds, having her prepare his food, even the way she had bathed him the first night they had met, Starscream began to realise that he knew nothing about living in the human world. It wasn't so much the routines but the little things; the way clothing was folded, how cutlery was used, dishes stored, beds made...all such subtle things that seemed unimportant yet contributed so much to 'being human'.

Indeed, he had learned much already from observing his fellow humans out on the street, even in his true form he had discovered a great deal about their behaviour – although he hoped reacting to termination wouldn't be required – but still, he needed to know more. And the only way he could gain that knowledge was to spend time with a human in a domestic setting.

Starscream grimaced; was pleasure worth the indignity of spending time in close proximity to this human? His mechhood certainly thought so, but his mind wasn't so sure...

A strange buzzing in his ear brought Starscream out of his thoughts, instantly alerting him to the horrible fact that one of his fellow Decepticons was about to hail him through his comm. link. The metallic, monotone voice that reverberated through his head did nothing to ease his sudden feeling of dread.

"_Attention, Starscream."_

The grimace was automatic. Starscream never had a list of his favourite comrades, but if he had had one, Soundwave would have never been part of it.

"Wait," he whispered. "I can't talk right now, let me move to a more proper place…"

"_Attention required. Message won't be repeated."_

Starscream cursed the Communications Officer in silence whilst he hurried to get up from the bed, carefully escaping from Stella's embrace. The last thing he wanted was to wake her up and ruin his communication with the Nemesis.

He reached the kitchen right as Soundwave spoke again.

"_Your petition for assistance has been granted. Strategy will be put in motion in one solar cycle, exactly at 2045 terrestrial hours."_

"It was about time you gave me an answer. There are still things I need to discuss with you in order to guarantee the success of my plan," Starscream spat, closing the kitchen door behind him. "I was hoping I'd get more warning than this, a cycle doesn't give me a lot of time to prepare!"

"_You devised the plan, preparations should be complete already."_

Starscream repressed the urge to tell Soundwave where to shove his cold, oh-so-perfect-loyalist response, but decided against it. For once his plans were being taken seriously, he didn't want to risk losing Megatron's support simply because he couldn't keep his mouth shut.

"So you can guarantee that the Autobots and their human pets will be in the city at the time you specified?"

"_Affirmative. Autobots Bumblebee and Hound will be present at a charity event, the humans will be accompanying them."_

"Bumblebee and Hound? There aren't any others that you're not telling me about? Like Prime? I know what you're like, Soundwave."

"_Negative. Information received indicates they will be the only Autobots in attendance."_

"Good... Ok, now I need you to make sure that Rumble and Frenzy know exactly what I'm planning, if they go after the wrong humans..."

"_Your plans have been made clear, further discussion: unnecessary."_

"Unnecessary?! I want it made clear that I want mayhem and destruction, not a slagging massacre! If they don't understand what I want them to do..."

"_Do you want assistance, or not?"_

"Fine...fine. But if they kill the targets, I swear I will make _you_ pay for it."

"_Threatening a superior officer: unwise."_

That was it. It was one thing to mess with his plans, but to assert his 'authority' like that...

"You listen to me, you slagging freak: if you think I'm going to fall for that slag you're sorely mistaken. _I_ am the superior officer and you know it. Your little 'promotion' is worthless, you will _never_ be second in command, even when I am Supreme Commander. If you dare speak to me like that again, you _won't_ live to regret it. Understood? Now make sure your stupid runts know what they're doing or..."

"_The coordinates of the selected location are being sent to the specified email address. Succeed, or be terminated."_

Soundwave ended the communication before Starscream had the chance to reply. If it weren't for the human sleeping in the next room he would have shouted in rage, instead he settled on slamming his fist into the table top.

Damn Soundwave...damn him to the Pit.

……….

Stella let her head rest on Starscream's shoulder, panting and with a smile that reflected absolute satisfaction. The water coming from the shower continued falling freely on both humans.

"Wow… that was amazing, Sean… even better than last night…"

"It wasn't that bad," he replied, separating from her and lifting his face to receive the warm water.

She turned him around and carefully spread liquid soap on his shoulders, beginning to rub his back with a washcloth.

"Are you sure your bandage didn't get wet? I'm not so sure about that plastic I put on it to protect it…"

"It doesn't matter. It doesn't hurt so much anymore," he replied, closing his eyes and allowing her to wash him the same way he would have allowed a cleaning drone to polish his former armour.

"You know what? I knew you would come back," Stella said as she kissed Starscream's nape very delicately.

"Is that so?" he asked, resting his forehead on the wall. "And why is that?"

She smiled. "Because you couldn't stay away from me."

"Ha… you silly femme… You're an acceptable pleasure provider, I give you that, but the truth is that if I hadn't been stabbed last night, your dreams would've been the only place you'd ever seen me."

She didn't seem to be discouraged by his words. "Maybe… but you're here, that's what matters."

"Well," he said, turning around so she could wash his front, "don't get used to it."

She started rubbing his chest with the washcloth, also spreading the soap with her free hand. "I won't… but I hope you'll consider returning… There are still fifty six positions of the Kamasutra we haven't tried."

Starscream didn't have any idea of what that 'Kamasutra' thing was, but the word 'positions' aroused his interest. It had been a while since he had last had intimacy with a femme as passionate as this Stella specimen. He wondered if all terrestrial prostitutes where that way, or if he had been lucky enough to find one that didn't have any self-restraints concerning pleasure.

He pinned her to the wall, grabbing her wrists and immobilizing them above her head. The washcloth fell to the floor and slipped toward his feet. Her anxious mouth looked for his lips but he didn't allow her to kiss him.

"I may return Stel, if you continue being such an ill-behaved femme."

"Mmmh… you haven't seen anything yet…"

And then he kissed her, ready for another assault, the last one before he faced his destiny. Who knew? Perhaps interfacing with this female would be the last moment of pleasure of his life. If the Autobots discovered him, perhaps he wouldn't have life left at all.

_To be continued._

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_You've probably noticed that this was a fairly short chapter, but trust us, it's an important one. As the title suggests, Screamer's plans are now in motion, which means more action is on the way. And so are the Autobots..._

_As always we thank you all for taking the time to read and review, it means a lot and keeps us going even when inspiration is lacking._


	24. Starscream's Master Plan, part 2

**Chapter 23**

**Starscream's Master Plan, Part 2**

The soldering iron hissed obediently as Starscream began work on the circuitry of his second homing beacon. Its predecessor, now complete and awaiting activation, sat amongst an array of wires and circuit boards scattered over the kitchen table at which he was sitting. A smirk adorned his face as another wire was tamed into its place; it felt good to be using his hands, to be creating something that would place him one step closer to gaining the Autobot's trust, to regaining his body...

Starscream sat the soldering iron back in its stand and reached for a length of blue wire, carefully measuring it out before snipping it to the required length. It had been surprisingly easy to acquire the components necessary for his design once Thundercracker had activated his bank account, a careful search of a few electronics stores had turned up everything he needed in a matter of hours.

Developing the design, too, had been a simple exercise; he had to admit that although primitive in itself, human technology did have potential if left in capable hands such as his. A pity he couldn't dedicate his efforts to developing something more destructive.

A red wire joined the newly attached blue one as the circuit board grew more and more complex with each action. Okay, so the homing beacons themselves weren't destructive, but the chain of events that would unfold because of them...

Starscream's smug look deepened, how easy it was to mutilate the boundaries of truth and trust when the Autobots were involved; all he had to do was act the victim and play with their pathetic emotions...

"Eeechhh..." the young human protested out loud as his stomach suddenly churned at the thought of playing nice with the Autobots.

They were so predictable, so goody-goody and wholesome...and the worst culprit of all was their leader, Optimus Prime.

Starscream scowled as he thought of his enemy, to think he was made of the same Cybertronian steel that he was – had been – made of made him feel immediate repulsion. He couldn't understand how any Cybertronian, regardless of factions, could consider themselves equals amongst an organic race, defenders of such primitive beasts... And yet, there were the Autobots...

But Optimus Prime...he was the worst offender of all. Guilt drove the mech, guilt and that overwhelming desire of his to help the weak... Starscream had always wondered if Optimus could see the irony of the situation, after all, it wasn't Megatron that had brought their war to other worlds, it wasn't Megatron that had brought their war to Earth...

Starscream chuckled quietly to himself as he fitted the completed circuit board into the metal housing he'd built earlier. Such weakness; it would be the mech's undoing, no doubt about it.

………….

Ruffling his soaked hair with a towel, Starscream left the cramped, claustrophobic space of his bathroom and made his way back to the living room. The light cast by the bare light bulb was yellowed and dim, throwing languid shadows in the sickly glow. He hadn't really taken the time to explore the apartment Johnny had secured for him when he'd first arrived; the more urgent matters of preparation and hygiene had to take priority. He still had things to do of course; selecting a suitable outfit, packing away his laptop and the few other items he needed, and, most importantly setting the homing beacons, but in his surprisingly relaxed mood he couldn't help but be pleased with what the little worm Johnny had achieved.

The apartment itself was nothing special, it was slightly bigger than Stella's and unlike hers, had a fuelling area that extended into the living room; a small bench separating the two areas. It had been furnished too; nothing fancy but the television worked, the kitchen table was of a good size and the couch was comfy...the bed looked comfy too but, due to unintentional activities during the night, he hadn't had the chance to try it out.

Certainly, this place was nothing compared to the luxuries he deserved, but it did prove something; Johnny could act quickly and reasonably effectively if required...

Casting the towel aside, Starscream took a new pair of jeans from a plastic bag sitting on the grey couch. He hated having to restrict himself in that way, but he knew there was no way he could blend in with the crowds without them. Pulling them over his Calvin Klein underwear he decided to leave his torso bare for the time being; there was no sense in allowing the water that beaded over his muscles to dampen his shirt, after all.

It was with a feeling of near excitement that Starscream took hold of one of the homing beacons and left his apartment. Moving as swiftly and silently as he could, the human made his way up the two flights of stairs to the top floor before climbing deftly up the access ladder and onto the roof.

The sun had only recently set, as the fading golden light dancing above the horizon indicated, the dying remnants of the day creating a landscape of contrasts that to any other being may have been considered beautiful. But none of that mattered to the ex flyer as he moved towards the edge of the building; he was so high up...

The chilly evening air caressed his bare skin softly, beckoning, teasing; Starscream suddenly realised this was the closest he'd been to the sky – his realm – in days. He inhaled deeply, allowing the chill to fill his lungs, the sensation reminded him of the way the wind would rush through his joints and vents in his alt mode...

His hand trembled, the movement causing the homing beacon to rattle slightly, dragging him back to reality...

Starscream activated the beacon and set it to rest at his feet. He had to move swiftly if he were to make it in time to plant the second beacon on the other side of the city, there was no need to reminisce about his lost body; he would regain it soon enough...

.................

Starscream leaned casually on the wall as he took another sip from his super size glass of strawberry milkshake. He didn't know what was worse: to actually like a beverage that was intended for sparklings and femmes, or to drink it from a plastic glass that featured a picture of an Autobot. If somebody would have told him just a deca-cycle ago that soon he would be submerging himself into disgusting and irrelevant human habits, he would have burst into laughter, right before shooting the prankster to death. Certainly, the image of himself gladly drinking a milkshake wasn't doing anything good to his monstrous ego.

But he quickly eradicated those thoughts from his mind; he was enjoying that creamy fuel that reminded him – vaguely, of course – of the sweet flavour of regular energon. As for the picture of the yellow Autobot midget on the plastic glass, he shrugged his shoulders and guessed he had to tolerate it. The Autobots were the stars of the night, after all.

And the stars were fashionably late, as he noticed the time on his Gucci watch with a grimace. He had been there for almost two hours, analyzing the place and looking for strategic spots to perform his own show. Of course, he had to consider the existence of the surprise element, which jeopardized the beginning of his mission, but that same factor also provided excitement to his mood. He needed to feel like a Decepticon again, at least remotely, and the thought of what was going to happen in just some minutes was providing an odd version of such feeling, somehow bringing him closer to some small part of who he used to be.

He increased his grimace and tossed the now empty plastic glass aside. _Who he used to be??? _Who was he now, then? Some anonymous, puny human, lost in that mass of noisy and annoying puny humans… More than his drastic transformation, he was beginning to feel more and more a foreigner every hour that he spent in that fleshling nest. Foreign to the Decepticons, to his identity as a Cybertronian super advanced cybernetic organism… the bare thought was terrifying.

Despite his initial shock and disgust, he had managed to blend in to that hell very quickly. He was wearing human clothes, refueling with human food, walking through that crowd of flesh creatures as if he were one of them… not to mention he had spent most of his time in the Portland city-state interfacing like a beast with a human prostitute without any concern for how many viruses or infections that female germ could have been transmitting into his fuel line. He shook his head. He had to admit, at least to himself, that he had always been easily driven by lust, but it seemed that such condition had gotten worse since he began wearing a human skin.

"Seems to me that you dropped something."

Starscream frowned and turned to face whoever was daring to disturb him. The voice had sounded very close to his ear and, unless the circumstances were associated with intimate pleasure, he had never tolerated the presence of anybody invading his personal space.

A middle aged male was staring at him with very unfriendly eyes. By his clothes Starscream could deduce he was part of the group of humans assigned to enforce the law. Policemen, he thought they were called…

"I said you dropped something, didn't you hear me boy? Are you going to pick that up or do you want me to do it for you?" the man repeated, pointing toward the fallen milkshake glass very close to his feet.

For a moment Starscream felt urged to obey his first impulse: attack the disgusting flesh bag and make him one with the ground. Who did that worm think he was to speak to the great Starscream like that? But he forced himself to remember he had a mission and he couldn't afford to ruin it for a moment of anger.

Besides, it was never too early to start pretending that repulsive kind behaviour the Autobots loved. After that day, he had the feeling he would have to use it… a lot.

"Of course…" he said, picking up the glass and softening the tone his voice as much as he could. "I'm very, very sorry. I don't know what I was thinking."

"You punks just don't give a damn about limits, do you? Just because daddy signed some big check for the benefit tonight doesn't mean you can fool around and do what you want…" the man grumbled as he walked away, shaking his head.

Starscream's face returned to his unfriendly expression as he tossed the glass again, this time behind his shoulder. That brutish, old flesh ball… it reminded him of Ironhide for some reason.

But the policeman had mentioned something interesting, confusing Starscream with some wealthy member of the group of socially privileged humans. The ex Seeker smirked, satisfied to see that he hadn't lost his natural elegance. But that could work against him as well, especially considering the masquerade he was about to put together for the foolish Autobots.

He walked to a nearby trash can and discretely got rid of his expensive watch without any remorse. For a moment he thought about also losing his five hundred dollar jacket, but the cold of the night dissuaded him of such idea. It wasn't about looking like a homeless person to the eyes of the Autobots either…

He headed to the other side of the street, avoiding the noisy crowd that was becoming more anxious as they were waiting for their metallic heroes. Such a pathetic vision of mediocrity those fleshlings were… driven by some of the lowest emotions of any sentient mind. Starscream had no doubt that the right thing to do with such a failed race was to terminate it. They were so easily affected by demagogic propaganda… perhaps the fools would walk happily to their own doom guided by the 'proper' emotions.

That charity event was a perfect example. Hundreds of humans gathered together, raising funds to support some organization to repair sick sparklings. Cancer, Starscream remembered the disease was named. He remembered having read once that such failure had to do with some sort of mutation of the human cells… nothing within his interests, really.

It wasn't in his interests either, but he couldn't help but notice the different panorama that existed just some miles from there. Would those smiling humans make the same effort to raise funds for Stella's lousy neighborhood? He hadn't seen one single prostitute in the wealthy area he was currently standing in, whereas the first human zone he had encountered was invaded with those creatures.

He was familiar with contrasts, ever since he was a sparkling on Cybertron. He had seen misery and opulence, and he had quickly decided which side he wanted to be on. Joining the Decepticons had been the perfect way to focus his ambitions and find that they were even bigger than he had believed.

Who would have thought he would end up on an alien world, using his talents not for grandeur, but merely to return to himself; to fight not for glory but to avoid living and dying like one of those alien creatures that walked the tricky line that classified them as first or second class citizens?

Iacon and Kaon… It seemed that Earth also liked to turn its back on its most unfortunate children. It was amazing how Portland had such abysmal social differences being only one city-state. It seemed that such diversity happened in most of the cities of the planet. Frontiers and nationalities aside, as long as the pariahs were kept hidden, the smiling faces seemed to have no problems in maintaining their hypocritical countenances.

What an interesting world Earth was, after all… Someday he definitely had to apply some of the very classified theories he had developed to mutate societies.

His glance met the eyes of nearby young female who was staring at him with open interest. Starscream could read immediately the desire in her body language, so clear that he could almost smell it. He smirked at her as well, once again feeling the urge to satisfy needs that were becoming very natural in his human body. The femme was attractive, very attractive actually… noticeable younger than Stella, and definitely more beautiful.

Just for a moment, he wondered if he would have time to take that human to a more private part of the street and indulge in some carnal pleasure before focusing on his mission again…

But reality forced him to forget about those thoughts as an enormous cheer could be heard along the entire street, almost covering the sound of the approaching engines.

The Autobots had arrived.

……………

Carly felt Spike's arms tighten around her as Bumblebee turned roughly around a narrow corner.

"Oops! Sorry about that," Bumblebee said. "Are you guys OK?"

"Couldn't be better," Spike replied, grinning and kissing Carly's neck.

The blonde girl chuckled. "Yeah, don't worry Bee. Anyway, we shouldn't both travel in the same seat or next time we'll end up with a big bump on the top of our heads. Why don't you move to the driver's seat, Spike?"

The young man reluctantly did what the girl said, not before kissing her once more. "Okay, but I don't see the big deal… It's not like the police are going to stop us tonight. We are the stars of the night, after all!"

Carly grinned. "You mean Bumblebee and Hound are."

A soft chuckle came from the yellow Beetle's board. "I'm no star, guys! I'm just a regular shy Autobot, you know me."

Carly looked to the side mirror and saw the green Jeep that was following them very closely. "Well, shyness is definitely not one of Hound's problems. See how he enjoys popularity."

Spike also turned around and smiled. "Yeah, and he's not the only one. Speaking of shy guys, I'd say that Chip has no problem with some recognition."

It was true. Chip Chase, who was sitting in Hound's driver seat, was waving with his hands to the growing groups of admirers who were cheering them as they were approaching the Pearl District, in which the charity event was going to take place.

Carly returned her glance to the road ahead of them, only to raise it up and fixate it on the black sky. "Mmmh… do you think the Decepticons will give us problems tonight, Bee?"

"I don't think so. Cosmos has been watching their base all morning and the only movement he noticed was that Laserbeak went out, but he returned almost immediately."

"Where do you think he went?"

"I don't know. Cosmos lost him for some minutes but there are no records of any damage inflicted by Decepticon activity. He must have been on some surveillance mission, I guess… The 'Cons do that all the time, Carly."

"Besides," Spike said, "I don't think the Decepticreeps would be interested in ruining a charity event. Fortunately it's not among the things Megatron considers important."

"Lucky for us…" Carly said.

"You sound like you're almost sorry they won't show up," Spike said, grabbing her hand.

She smiled. "I just think we should never get too confident, that's all. You never know when the Decepticons will decide to pay a visit."

"Relax, Carly," Bumblebee said. "Prowl will be patrolling the area with Bluestreak and Sideswipe. They were performing some maintenance chores but they should be here in about an hour."

Carly leaned her head on the seat. "That definitely makes me feel better. Hey guys, lose your seatbelts because we're here!"

"Showtime!" Spike said as he tidied up the neck of his shirt, bought especially for the occasion.

The stunning flashes of the cameras received them. Carly opened Bumblebee's door, blinking and covering her eyes with the back of her hand to shield them from the dazzling lights. She saw Spike waving his hands at her from Bumblebee's other side whilst the Autobot transformed into his bipedal mode, but unlike her boyfriend, she didn't particularly love to be in the center of the spotlight. She shook some hands and smiled at everybody, at the same time making good use of the attention the Autobots were drawing to lose herself within the crowd.

She sighed with relief when she found shelter near a wall at the entrance of a narrow street. It was a good place to watch the event without being spotted. Earlier that day she had signed a check with four zeroes to the Cancer foundation, the biggest donation they had received, as some pompous and fat man from the Mayor's office informed her. She had only smiled in return, not feeling proud at all.

It had been so simple, just putting her signature on some sterile piece of paper… But that was nothing that made her feel better. She had only donated money that she had inherited, money that worked for everything except for the really important things. Her heart sunk at the sight of a group of thin kids, most of them without hair, smiling and cheering at the Autobots. Their innocent faces and their sincere happiness proved how much they were enjoying the wonderful moment they were living, staring at real steel heroes and not just some stereotyped cartoon copy.

There was no doubt those kids were having the most exciting day of their entire lives. Carly repressed a tear when she thought that perhaps some of them wouldn't live to have a moment like that again…

It was then when she felt it, clear as a touch.

Somebody was staring at her.

She was sure. She couldn't see anything with the discreet glance she took, but she was certain a pair of eyes were fixated on her with an intensity that was almost physical.

She was used to being stared at. Ever since she had turned fourteen, she had become a regular center of attention for both male and female eyes. Of course, she couldn't care less about that, as sceptical as she was about appearances.

This was different, though. More than a passing glance, more than a casual stare and a potential request for her phone number. It was like somebody among the crowd had chosen her to be the exclusive center of their attention.

And she didn't like it.

She shook her head, realizing how paranoid she was being. She smiled when she saw Spike playing the fool to entertain a group of kids that were sitting on Hound's shoulders. Her boyfriend was a child as well… so young but yet so brave and warm hearted. There were times like that, in which she confirmed she had made the right decision by starting a serious relationship with him.

The minutes went by fast. Bumblebee and Hound were performing some driving stunts and even a combat simulation in which Bumblebee got the lower hand. It was amazing how the Autobots had torn down so quickly the thick walls of human distrust. There was no doubt there was hope for humanity after all.

But right when she was ready to finally relax and give up her natural ability to question everything, three thin lines divided the sky as the roar of very familiar engines left no doubt that Carly's suspicions had, once again, turned into a reality.

The sound of an explosion somewhere behind her rocked the street, followed closely by a second, this time somewhere in front.

"DECEPTICONS!" somebody cried.

Horror only took half a second to spread.

_To be continued._

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_Even though we are situating this story in Portland, we are acknowledging it as a fictional version of the actual city. Some people from there have been very kind in giving us the basics about their City of Roses, information that has been very helpful to imagine Starscream's surroundings. _

_But, even with all this help, we still are not from Portland and have never been there, so once again we want to point out that you might find some details of the city inaccurate, but whatever liberties we are taking are being for the sake of the story._

_At the same time, it's not our intention to offend the people from Portland with the fictional events we are narrating in this story. Unfortunately, social differences and crime are burdens that most terrestrial cities carry, so we thought that our fictional Portland should show a similar face._

_As always, thank you all very much for your continued support and reviews. Please let us know what you think :)_

_Additonal note by Taipan Kiryu: Despite Starscream's opinion, strawberry milkshakes are not the human equivalent of energon. (Shakes head, staring at iratepirate in bed, victim of an epic case of food poisoning, or better said, energon poisoning, although she says she didn't get if from a milkshake…)_


	25. Starscream's Master Plan, part 3

_We are very sorry for taking so long to update this story, but we have been very busy lately and we didn't have the chance to put this chapter together before. No more preambles, we left last chapter in an ugly cliffhanger and it's time to move on._

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**Chapter 24**

**Starscream's Master Plan, Part 3**

It was amazing how contempt could turn into lust.

As soon as he saw a certain golden haired femme getting out of the yellow Autobot midget, Starscream felt the very familiar hit of desire burning between his legs.

He smirked. If he had had his two idiotic wingmates close, he would have waged with them about the amount of time it would take him to add that femme to what he proudly called 'his list'.

But he needed no bets to know it wouldn't take long. A couple of solar cycles, perhaps less… He had had his doubts in the beginning, but now he knew that he was a perfect specimen of human beauty. Not a surprise, considering he was the most handsome Cybertronian ever created. He was certain he would have that Autobot pet on her back sooner than later.

But before that he had a little circus to mount.

He was the first one to notice the proximity of his former wingmates. He could distinguish at the distance the reverberation of Dirge's engine, which caused a grimace on his face. Starscream would have preferred his trinemates' assistance. Despite being a couple of glitches, Skywarp and Thundercracker were capable enough to follow his instructions without flaws, but the Coneheads were an entirely different matter, starting with the fact that they hated him.

Panic started almost immediately. Starscream smirked, relieved to see something more interesting than the stupid stunts the Autobots were performing to entertain their human admirers. It was definitely more gratifying to see the crowd of fleshlings scattering like bugs and screaming with all the power of their vocalizers.

A feeling of nostalgia invaded Starscream as he realized how much he would have loved to be the cause of such fear. He wondered if it would happen again…

He frowned. Of course it would happen again; he would make it happen again. He would return to take over the sky, to honour his name, a name that was feared, the name of the Decepticons Aerospace Commander and soon to be their Supreme Leader…

He sheltered from the wave of running humans by a nearby wall, looking for some trace of Rumble and Frenzy, who were supposed to have arrived already. All he hoped was that the blasted runts wouldn't ruin the mission for once.

Two deadly lines crossed the sky. At least Dirge and Thrust – definitely not Ramjet – had managed to shoot the missiles that would hopefully find their targets. Simple trick, but it had worked. The Autobots scattered in an attempt to stop the Seekers, leaving the task of controlling the human mass to the fleshling authorities.

His moment had arrived. He looked for the Autobots' female pet once again, but he didn't find her where she was previously standing. He spotted her almost immediately, though, trying to protect a group of sparklings from being crushed by the crowd.

Starscream thought that was a perfect example of a very stupid action. Why would somebody put their life at risk to protect others, especially if said others were a group of strangers? Starscream had never lifted a finger to help anybody else, and definitely would never expose himself to pain to protect anybody other than himself. Selfishness was the key to perfect individuality, not to mention survival.

But it was time to mount his circus, to become a parody of all the nonsense that defined the Autobots weak code of honour.

It was time to become a hero.

* * *

Carly only started to worry about herself once she made sure the three kids were safely reunited with their parents.

Of course, to say safe was being a dreamer; nobody and nothing could be safe if the Decepticons decided to bomb the Pearl District. Just imagining the massacre was horrifying; she hoped the Autobots would be able to control the attack as soon as possible.

She turned around frantically, looking for Spike. She didn't see him amongst the crowd, but she caught sight of a small girl crying on the corner of an alley. The girl couldn't be more than five years old and by the look of her eyes she was terrified. Her right knee was bleeding; she had probably fallen whilst trying to escape. Carly started to make her way toward the girl when a furious growl sounded somewhere.

Carly's blood froze inside her body. She hadn't been directly involved in too many Autobot-Decepticon confrontations, but she could have recognized that hellish sound anywhere.

Death on four paws, fangs sharp as swords, voracious appetite for destruction, eyes of a devil… Ironhide had told her about the one that had earned the title of master of stealth, although it seemed that that day Ravage had decided to make his presence very clear.

The little girl cried in terror and ran down the alley. Carly turned around slowly, only to be greeted by the deadly stare of the beast itself. She couldn't repress the gasp of absolute horror as she realized Ravage had his sights set on her; despite the urgency of the situation it didn't escape Carly's mind that once again her paranoia hadn't been misplaced. Someone had indeed been watching her, he just wasn't human.

Shaking off the initial shock, Carly began to run. She knew there was no point in trying to outrun Ravage, but if she could at least get him away from the little girl hiding in the alley, coax him into a less populated area and reduce the risk to others…

The sound of her own heart pounding in her chest became almost deafening. She could hear the roar of the Decepticon jets as they took claim of the sky, although they had not flown directly overhead since their initial passing. She wondered what it was they wanted, why they had chosen that day, that place, that time, to launch some ludicrous attack on a group of innocents. There was nothing there to gain, from what she could see…but then again, how could anyone comprehend a Decepticon's mind or reasoning?

Carly glanced over her shoulder, eyes watering as she gulped in air with ragged breaths. Ravage was dangerously close behind her; there was no doubt that he would be able to reach her with a single leap if he chose to do so. But at least he was following her, that was her only concern in that moment.

Ravage growled again, baring his fangs as his optics caught her gaze. He seemed to be enjoying the chase, whatever his purpose, and it made Carly shiver to think that unless she could reach one of the Autobots, she would be feeling those sharp fangs and claws tearing at her skin in a matter of minutes.

"Leave us alone!" she shouted angrily as she continued to run, children and adults alike scattering around them. "You decepticreeps are all cowards, attacking innocent people like this."

Ravage simply growled in response, swatting away a young male in his path with a vicious paw.

"If you wanted to get at us, why didn't you just attack the Ark, huh?" she shouted again, unsure of where her audacity was coming from. "You're pathetic, do you know that…a pathetic cowa –"

Carly couldn't finish her insult as Ravage suddenly pounced. She screamed as the robotic panther leapt cleanly over her, landing neatly in her path and rounding on her immediately. He snapped ferociously as Carly came skidding to a halt, falling heavily on her backside.

So that was it, her valiant attempt to distract one of the Decepticons fiercest fighters was nearly over. All that was left was for him to tear her apart and then he could go about killing more innocents… Shivering, Carly began to back away.

"Bumblebee! Hound!" the young woman called pleadingly, almost ashamed that she needed to call for help. "Spike…please…help me!"

Carly continued to drag herself backwards as Ravage positioned himself over her, his optics narrowed into two lines of hate. His growl seemed to reverberate throughout her entire body as she looked back for any sign of her companions, but they were nowhere to be seen. A whimper escaped her lips; she knew her life was over.

Suddenly, something small and hard impacted the panther's shoulder, immediately drawing his attention away from his prey. Carly followed the direction of Ravage's angry stare, and to her surprise found a young man riding back and forth on a black motorbike.

"That's right, kitty cat, why don't you pick on someone capable of fighting back, huh?" the man goaded, stooping to collect a soda can before hurling it at Ravage. "Come on, get on the bike," he then called, shifting his attention to Carly.

Carly scrambled to her feet as her improvised saviour threw another can before bringing his bike level with Ravage's front paw. She took the man's hand as he offered it to her, and pulled herself onto his bike, taking a firm grip of his waist as he drove recklessly back towards the alley by which she had first attracted Ravage's attention.

"No! What are you doing?" Carly shouted over the roar of the motorbike engine. "You'll lead him back towards the crowds going this way! We should turn around!"

The young man's green eyes flashed with something Carly didn't recognize as he turned and looked over his shoulder. "Yes, because you looked like you knew exactly what you were doing," he said with a sarcastic tone. "I happen to have a plan, so how about you hang on like a good girl and let me take care of this."

Despite the fear still pulsing through her body, Carly couldn't help but scoff at the young man's impudence. "Excuse me?" she snapped, looking back once again at the Decepticon following them closely. "Just who the hell do you think you are? I didn't ask you to come to my aid, and for your information, I had a plan too." It was a complete lie, of course, but for some reason Carly felt an instant dislike toward her saviour. "For starters, I wasn't going to lead Ravage right towards that small child there!"

Much to Carly's distress, the young girl she had seen earlier had left the relative safety of the alleyway and was wandering the street. Her left knee and face were now bleeding as well, obviously she had fallen again in her panic, and her tears ran freely as she screamed frantically for her mother.

"Stop!"

"No way. If you want me to trash this loser then-"

"I said, STOP!" Carly demanded, thumping the young man's side with her fist.

"Arrghh sla…_shit_ woman!" he cried in angry surprise as the motorbike spun and skidded to a halt. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Saving this small, defenseless little girl," Carly said spitefully as she climbed awkwardly off the bike and ran to the child, immediately wrapping her in a protective embrace. "Shh, it's ok, it's ok…"

"Oh, you've got to be joking…" the man muttered to himself. "Fine, fine, do what you must! But don't blame me if things go wrong!" With that, he straightened his bike and took off again, this time heading directly towards the oncoming Ravage.

* * *

As he drove at full speed toward Ravage, Starscream wondered, not for the first time during the night, why the slag Soundwave had sent that slagging cat from hell instead of the two idiotic runts he had requested in the first place. But almost immediately he realised the stupidity of such question. Of course, the answer was obvious: it was because Soundwave hated him.

All that Starscream could do was hope that Ravage had been instructed to play along, but he knew he was being too optimistic. He could almost see the image, the fragging telepath emotionlessly punching the button on his shoulder and speaking with that annoying, monotonic voice that Starscream loathed so much.

"_Ravage, eject. Operation: Starscream deactivation."_

Starscream shook his head. No, it couldn't be… What benefit would Megatron obtain by killing him even before his mission started? It made no sense… his hated leader wouldn't waste the priceless opportunity to have a spy inside the Ark…

Or would he?

Frag, no… Starscream reprimanded himself again. As much as Megatron hated him, the slagger needed him, of course he needed him… otherwise he would have stepped on him the moment he entered the Nemesis transformed into a pathetic puddle of flesh and bones.

But no matter what, Starscream needed to know how willing Ravage was to play the game.

The answer wasn't very clear as Ravage stopped and waited for him, an open challenge. Starscream tested the breaks of his primitive ground vehicle and managed to skid right when the cyber panther made a first attempt to impact him with one of his front paws. Starscream stopped beside Ravage's head, finding the moment he was looking for. It was then or never, the Autobot female pet was out of audio range and such opportunity wouldn't present itself again.

"What the slag do you think you are doing, Ravage? You could've killed me!"

A growl was his response. Of course, Ravage was not the talkative type, not with him, at least.

"You are supposed to lose this one, or did Soundwave conveniently forget to tell you that? No matter what Megatron said, I'm still your superior officer and I'm ordering you—"

Ravage attacked again, this time finding his target. Starscream and his motorcycle abandoned the floor and crashed against the wall.

"Aaaaah, damn you!" the young man cried in pain as gravity returned him to the hard ground, his leg hitting against the fallen motorcycle.

If Ravage was playing along he was definitely a very bad actor. Knowing Soundwave, it was likely that he hadn't instructed his accursed pet to go for the kill, but instead had ordered him to do as much damage as possible without involving deactivation. Being an expert human hunter as he was, Ravage would have no problems in making Starscream bleed.

The ex Seeker cringed when he felt the proximity of Ravage's paws again, but just when he was expecting more pain, a small object hit the robotic panther's head and a thick cloud of grey smoke invaded everything.

Coughing, Starscream managed to see the blurry figure on the other side of the cloud. It seemed like the human femme had somehow managed to access some kind of smoke weapon, apparently made for distraction purposes.

"Come on!" the Autobot female pet cried to him. "Run!"

With tears coming from his eyes because of the smoke, Starscream managed to get up and initiated his own operation – namely, getting the frag away from Ravage – but he tripped on his bike and fell heavily on his stomach.

"Oh great! What a saviour you turned out to be!" he heard the female telling him as she continued to call Ravage's attention by throwing all sort of objects at him.

He heard the ground rumbling as Ravage headed toward his original victim. Starscream closed his eyes, trying to protect them from the irritating smoke but mainly he did so out of frustration. It was so humiliating; he was supposed to save that human flesh bag to gain the Autobots' favour, but the situation was turning out to be the complete opposite of that.

Punching the ground in frustration, Starscream decided to avert the course of the situation… again. There was much more than a mere farce at stake; if he failed in that stunt, he would not infiltrate the Autobots and thus would _never _recover his true body.

He wouldn't let that happen.

Ignoring the smoke and embracing the rage, he climbed onto his motorcycle again and aimed at the dark silhouette that had already reached the main street.

It was definitely a now or never situation.

The following seconds were not very clear. Not even when the smoke of his own thoughts dissipated was Starscream able to remember exactly everything that had happened in such an insignificant amount of time.

He didn't picture Ravage as an ally, or anything remotely close to such concept. He saw an enemy in him, a rival that had to be destroyed. That was a real battle, and real pain had to be the result. Pain, of course, not destined for him.

Before he could realize what was happening, he felt the world collapsing around him. He saw his bike breaking in pieces beneath his body, right after crashing into Ravage's face with the speed of a torpedo.

Then pain made itself present, making him feel alive and returning time to its normal pace.

He fell, hitting his arm on a piece of his shattered bike and tearing the delicate skin covering his bones. The sight of his own blood reminded him about his own fragility, but the kick of what he would later address as adrenaline was far from being over.

Then he saw her again, emerging from within the debris. She kneeled hurriedly beside him and grabbed his arm, the one that was not bleeding.

"Are you insane? What the heck are you trying to prove? You could've died!"

What was she still doing there? Why hadn't she run?

Behind her, a furious Ravage recovered from the disaster he had made of a nearby building and was looking for revenge. One of his optics was cracked, and Starscream knew for sure that Ravage wouldn't forgive him for that.

Starscream felt, more than saw, the sharp claws that pounced at he and the femme, the intentions to kill more than clear.

_Oh slag…_

The time had come for him to momentary put aside his philosophy of selfishness; if he wanted his body back, he had no choice. Knowing he would repent it, Starscream grabbed the girl's arms and dragged her towards him, turning around and protecting her with his body. He saw the terror in her eyes as he felt a sharp and very intense pain in the right side of his torso.

Starscream had always wondered what Ravage's victims felt when he tore them apart.

Now he knew.

* * *

Carly couldn't repress the shriek of terror that escaped her lips as the full weight of both Ravage and her protector pinned her to the ground, the man's arms wrapped around her. She inhaled deeply, trying to build enough courage to move, and couldn't help but notice the sweet scent of sweat-mixed cologne emanating from his body.

But that wasn't all that she noticed.

For starters, her male companion wasn't moving; she could feel the unmistakable warmth of spilt blood spreading between them. And second, Ravage was no longer attacking…in fact, he was backing away.

Carly strained to look behind her, and to her relief found the unmistakable forms of Bumblebee and Bluestreak advancing, their weapons firing relentlessly.

She returned her attention to the man still lying on top of her; to her relief she found him beginning to stir. Green eyes slowly opened and met her gaze as she gently pushed him off her, his blood more than obvious as she moved him.

"What…? Where is that mechanical bastahhhhh…" he said as he looked frantically about for Ravage before doubling over in pain, clutching at his side.

"Hey, just take it easy now, you're hurt," Carly said as she sat beside him, gently taking hold of his unhurt arm. "And don't worry, Ravage is gone. My friends came just at the right time, see."

He sat up straighter and turned to see the two Autobots approaching them; Ravage had disappeared. He returned his attention to Carly. Despite the pain and slight hint of humiliation, he couldn't help but revel in the young woman's stunning looks.

"Guys, it's about time you showed up!" Carly said, addressing her robotic friends. "Where's Spike? And Chip? Have you seen them?"

"They're ok, Carly, Hound's got them. Are you–"

"And there's a little girl," Carly said, cutting Bumblebee off. "I got her to hide in the alley; someone needs to find her parents. Could one of you take care of her please?"

"Don't worry, I'll look after her," Bluestreak said, immediately heading for the alley the woman had pointed to.

"But what about you?" Bumblebee asked with concern. "And your friend? Do you need me to call Ratchet? Or a human medic?"

"Yes, please fetch someone, he's bleeding badly," she said as she removed her jacket and attempted to press it to Starscream's side.

"No!" he responded even as Carly still spoke, leaning away from her attentions almost defensively.

"Yes, Bumblebee. Please get some help."

"No, really, I'm fine. It's not necessary."

"So, do I get someone, or not?"

"Get someone."

"Don't. Really, I don't need help."

Carly rounded on the young man as Bumblebee hurried off to find a medic. Despite his heroic actions the man's stubborn attitude was reawakening her original feeling of dislike towards him. His wandering eyes and the almost flirtatious smirk on his face wasn't doing anything to abate that feeling either.

"Really? So all this blood is just my imagination running wild, huh?"

"Like I said, I'm fine." His attention dropped momentarily to her chest. "More than fine, actually."

Carly threw down her jacket and placed her hands on her hips. "Right, I get it. Tough guy. Thinks he's God's greatest gift to the planet. Yeah, I know what guys like you are like. Well fine then. You don't want my help, don't take it. Pfft, and there I was thinking I should do something to say thank you."

The man looked as though he was going to say something harsh, but stopped himself. After a long pause his expression softened. "Ahh, look, I'm sorry. It's just that…well, I…ahhh…I don't like doctors. I'll be fine, really, although…" he lifted his torn shirt and winced at the site of the large gash in his side. "I could use your help fixing this. Maybe…maybe you and one of your Autobot friends could drive me home? If you don't mind, that is."

Carly regarded him for a moment, unsure of what to make of his sudden change in attitude. There seemed to be sincerity in his eyes, and certainly his gaping wound spoke of his need for help. She glanced over her shoulder to find Bumblebee making his way back to them, a medic closely in tow. Turning back to her companion, it was obvious he was contemplating running away. If he could manage such thing, of course.

Sighing in resignation, Carly picked up her blood-soaked jacket. "You promise that if Bee and I take you home, you'll let us help you? You won't just send us away and let yourself bleed to death?"

"Yes, yes," he said, grimacing and holding his side again.

"Well…I still think you should see a doctor, but if you won't accept any other help then I guess I have no choice. Come on, Bumblebee will drive us."

With that she placed his arm around her neck and wrapped her arm around his waist, carefully helping him to stand. "By the way, I'm Carly," she said.

"Sean," he replied with a wince. "Sean Latta."

_To be continued._

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_Finally, we arrived to the part that many of you wanted to see since the beginning of this story. Stay tuned to know if Starscream will manage to gain the Autobots' trust. __We promise a much faster update this time. Thanks a lot for your support and opinions. We always love to hear from you._


	26. The Beginning of a Masquerade

_Many thanks for your reviews and favorites. We didn't want to keep you waiting so here you have an update. We hope you enjoy it :)_

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**Chapter 25**

**The beginning of a masquerade**

Sitting on the edge of the sidewalk, Starscream lifted his torn shirt, doing his best to avoid fidgeting when the warm circle of light illuminated the three gashes that were now adorning the right side of his torso.

Slagging Ravage… a thousand times slag him. Whether he was pretending or not, the accursed Pit-spawned glitch had managed to actually hurt him. Fortunately Starscream's fast organic auto-repair systems had stopped the bleeding and had actually started to close his wounds, but yet that hadn't stopped the female and the annoying Autobot runt insisting that he should see a medic. Finally he had had to comply, otherwise it would have been too suspicious; and now he was in his current predicament, under the observation of the last medic he would have wanted to attend him.

Starscream had never had an Autobot so close, not without a fight involved. He wondered if that moronic medic kneeling before him would tend to his wounds so carefully if he knew who he was really repairing.

"Mmmh… I'm more worried about an infection than anything else," Ratchet said, slowly scanning the young man's mid section. Once again, Starscream made an effort to remain calm. His blood hid the secret of his real identity, but there was no reason for Ratchet to look for Cybertronium in the vital fuel of an ordinary human being. For the Autobot, Starscream's blood had to be just that: red, viscous, ordinary blood…

"How strange," Carly said, standing beside Starscream. "I would've sworn his injuries were deeper… I must have been mistaken."

"Fortunately for him, you were, Carly," Ratchet said before addressing Starscream again. "You were very lucky surviving a direct attack from Ravage, young human. Very few of your species can pride themselves on the same thing."

"Huh… As you said, I guess I was lucky," Starscream said, doing his best to make his voice sound kind. "Was that… Ravage… some sort of cat?"

Ratchet smiled. "He's a cybernetic organism, just like us, but you can call him a cat if you prefer. He's a real nuisance."

Starscream had to agree with that.

"What about his arm, Ratchet?" Carly asked. "Considering the way he fell off his bike, I'm surprised he didn't break it."

Starscream hurried to shake his head. "Er, no… I didn't break it. I couldn't move it otherwise, right?"

"Still, it's better to be sure. Please remove your shirt."

Starscream hesitated but he finally took off his torn jacket and his shirt. He knew the biggest danger of being discovered resided inside his chest. As if it knew he was thinking about it, his hybrid heart began to beat faster than usual. But then again, Ratchet had no reason to focus on his heart, not to mention he would need much more advanced equipment than a regular scanner to detect its little… anomaly.

But even with the danger, Starscream found a reason to smirk when he saw the fleeting but attentive look the human femme gave his bare torso.

Good, she was not indifferent to his charm. From that to having her on her back, the road was rather short.

"Please don't be scared, I'm just applying a purifying solution to prevent any kind of infection," Ratchet said, bathing Starscream's wounded zone with a fresh, white gas. "Your injuries don't look very serious, but I insist it would be better for you to go to a hospital."

Starscream sighed, relaxing with the pleasant sensation the gas immediately provided him with. "I will definitely do that first thing tomorrow morning."

Ratchet extracted a small, white box from his chest compartment and opened it, revealing a curious variety of human medical tools. Starscream was very aware that medics carried the equipment their profession dictated, but he couldn't understand that Autobot fool. He was a Cybertronian medic. Why the hell had lowered himself by acquiring knowledge about the repairing of human beings? Hook would have shot himself in the head, literally, before doing something like that.

"Now I just have to bandage…" Ratchet stopped talking when his comm link activated. "Mmmh, Prowl is requesting my presence to assist Sideswipe. It seems like he received some damage after his encounter with the Coneheads."

"Hey, go to your friend," Starscream said, relieved by the possibility of getting rid of Ratchet. "You've already done so much for me and I'm sure others need your help too. I'm fine, really."

"Mmmh, alright… but make sure to have a human doctor look at those wounds. Carly, would you mind bandaging him?"

"Sure, Ratchet," the blonde girl said, taking the small, metallic box from Ratchet's hands.

Starscream smirked, thanking his good fortune for the first time that night. He had expected to have that femme's hands over him in a very different situation – namely, both of them naked, their bodies intertwined - but that would have to wait. He just hoped he would be strong enough to avoid the temptation of forcing her onto her back and showing her what real pleasure was.

* * *

"Lift your arms," Carly said as she sat right beside the young man. She didn't have to look at his eyes to know that his gaze was fixated on her. Those intense, invading eyes that felt like red-hot daggers all over her...

Her discomfort was increasing. His stare felt like prying fingers, almost obscene… Carly knew about his type, arrogant jerks, naïve enough to believe she would be easy prey…

But there was something very different in this Sean Latta, something that seemed so foreign and at the same time so utterly familiar.

She disregarded the thought. Maybe she had breathed in some of the irritating discharge from the gas grenade she had thrown at Ravage in order to help her improvised saviour and it was messing with her mind.

"So those are your robot friends…" the young man said, interrupting her thoughts. "Very interesting."

"The correct term is Autobots," she corrected him whilst she started to bandage his torso. "I take it you had never seen one of them so close."

"Not from this height… I mean, not so close. They are quite big."

"I understand what you mean. I felt the same way when I saw them for the first time, although the first Autobot I met was rather short; Bumblebee, the yellow robot that saved us from Ravage. "

"Right, he arrived just in time…" Sean said; somehow his words seemed forced. "I'm hoping the damage caused by the other robots wasn't so bad."

"Fortunately not, which is really strange considering the Decepticons always aim for senseless destruction. Ratchet said there are no casualties registered and so far the paramedics mainly have their hands full with cases of shock. The material damage, on the other hand, was severe."

"Well, that is good news. Material damage can always be repaired. Human loses, on the other hand…" There it was, his tone of voice seemed forced again. Suddenly, he flinched. "Ouch! Be careful with that."

"Sorry, I guess I was distracted," she apologized.

He smirked again. "Don't worry about it. I can understand I make you feel nervous. I have that effect on females."

Carly stopped wrapping the bandage around him and put her hands on her hips. "Excuse me? Did Ravage hit you on the head as well? What is wrong with you?"

He seemed taken aback by her outburst, but his smirk didn't decrease. "Hey, don't get mad. Can't you take a compliment?"

"Compliment? For yourself, you mean? You know, I only met you a few minutes ago, but I can already tell you have a big ego problem."

He laughed. "That may be true. You are not the only one who has told me something like that."

"Oooh, and call me crazy but I wonder why that might be… Now hold still. I still have to finish bandaging you."

"Whatever it takes for you to touch me again. You have very soft hands."

Carly hesitated but kept adjusting the bandage around him. "Why you…" She shook her head. "Why do I bother?"

"My point exactly," he said, grinning.

Carly sighed, internally asking for patience. She couldn't remember having met a guy able to get on her nerves so fast. He knew his type perfectly: remarkably handsome, cocky, perfect abdominals, well shaped arms… All details she didn't care about at all, of course!

"Forgive me for insisting, but are you sure I'm not making you feel nervous? I say it because your hands are trembling… Not much, but they are."

She stopped bandaging him again. "You annoy me, that's what you do!"

"Relax, relax… I can assure you such is not my intention. You said your name was Carly, right?"

She frowned, noticing once again that the young man's attention was focused on a certain part of her body. "Yes, and for the record, my face is up here, or by any chance are you having this conversation with my breasts?"

He laughed again as he lifted his gaze toward her face. That annoying, arrogant laughter… "Sorry, maybe it's you who makes me nervous. You are very beautiful."

She gave him her best grimace before continuing to bandage him. "Well, thank you! Aren't you kind? Mmmh… what is this?" she said, touching the small whitish scar on his right shoulder slightly. "Let me guess. You were rescuing some other damsel in distress?"

He looked at the scar, the smirk on his face disappearing immediately. "No, this… happened during a fight. I got stabbed. There were four… seven against me."

"Seven, huh? Oh, please don't be modest. I'm sure there were at least fifteen. And I guess you got that scar on your eyebrow the same way, right?"

"No, that was a bug… a big, ugly bug…"

"Sure…" Carly said, once again resuming her bandaging work. "I'd say you have a taste for getting into trouble."

His seductive and insolent smile appeared again. "Maybe… especially if I get to have my wounds tended by such a hot nurse…."

Carly finished bandaging him, making sure to lean heavily on his wounded torso before separating from him with a frown on her face. "Are those your best pick-up lines? Gee, I bet they have done wonders for you."

"You would be surprised… ouch..."

The sound of metallic footsteps behind her made Carly turn around. She felt immediate relief when she saw Spike and Bumblebee approaching from the other side of the street.

She hurried to reach Spike, who was already running toward her. He received her in his arms, kissing her with immense happiness and relief.

"Bumblebee told me you were okay, but I couldn't wait to see it for myself," Spike said, hugging her against his chest. "Sorry I couldn't make it earlier. I was helping a man who couldn't find his little daughter…. but he did in the end and here I am."

"Well, I'm so happy to see you," she said, cuddling against him. Then she felt it, the uncomfortable itch of a very fixed stare behind her back. She felt her annoyance renewed, mostly against herself. Why the heck was she giving so much importance to that tanned, presumptuous jerk?

She turned around and glanced at Sean. "Spike, this is Sean. He saved me from Ravage."

Spike approached the young man and offered him his hand. "Thank you so much for helping Carly. I'll be eternally in debt to you."

"Of course you will," Sean said, reciprocating the greeting, although his words had a pitch of contempt that Spike didn't seem to notice. "Fortunately I was nearby."

"You were very brave," Bumblebee said. "When Ravage attacks, his only objective is the termination of his victims."

"That's what I heard," Sean replied, getting up and shaking the dust of his pants.

"How are you feeling? Ratchet said that your wounds were not very serious but still we are worried."

"I'm fine, I'm fine… your name is Bumblebee, right? Well, there's no need to worry. That metallic beast scratched me a bit, but I'll live."

"Yeah, Bumblebee is my name… By the way, I'm sorry about your motorcycle. We'll see to make sure you get a new one."

"You are so kind… But right now I wouldn't mind some help of another sort. Perhaps Carly mentioned something about driving me home?"

* * *

It was with a feeling of deepest disgust and near physical illness that Starscream allowed himself to sit in the back seat of Bumblebee, his newest 'friend' driving him through the busy Portland streets towards his apartment. It was a strange sensation; on the one hand he was deriving a great sense of satisfaction from the fact that his plan had worked thus far, but on the other, he was riding in an _Autobot_. He had never in his wildest nightmares imagined that he would fall so far so as to actually travel in one.

Having given his initial instructions on how to get 'home', Starscream had descended into silence, gazing out of the window as his companions spoke anxiously of the night's events. It would probably have been in his best interests to listen in on their conversation – to take part in it even – but in truth he was finding it increasingly difficult to control his Decepticon instincts and any 'friendly' discussions may well have ended in bloodshed. That, and his side was beginning to ache terribly; he winced as Bumblebee drove recklessly over yet another bump in the road. Accursed Autobot...he seemed to enjoy the rough ride.

A human emergency vehicle raced past the yellow Beetle with lights flashing and siren screaming wildly; the fifth the Seeker had counted in the last breem. Starscream repressed a smirk as he watched it disappear around a corner. Yes, things were definitely working to plan.

"_...Sean?"_

A touch on his arm broke Starscream's train of thought abruptly; he automatically flinched before turning to find Carly staring at him intently, her hand gently grasping his forearm.

"Are you ok, Sean?" she asked with a tone of concern, her fingers drifting back to her lap.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, fine..." he replied, internally cursing himself for his lack of attention. "Sorry, I was just thinking about what happened tonight. Still a bit...overwhelmed by it all, you know?"

"I daresay it will take a while to sink in," Carly said kindly, "I've known the Autobots for a couple of years now and it still doesn't feel real at times."

"I'm sure it doesn't."

"Anyway, Bumblebee wanted to know where we're supposed to go now."

Starscream took another look out of the window. "It's just up here a little further; turn right at the next set of lights and then take the second lef…ahhh! Could you try not hitting every bump in the road, please? I'm kinda in a bit of pain here, ya know?"

"Oh, I'm sorry Sean," Bumblebee said apologetically, a little light on his dashboard flashing as he spoke. "I'll take it a little slower, ok? That should stop you bouncing around so much back there. But you know, the roads in this district aren't as smooth as others. So it was right at the lights and second left, right?"

"Yeah."

"In other words, we're heading towards that big, black plume of smoke?" Spike asked from his place in the front seat. "Bee, isn't this the area where Prowl reported Decepticon activity?"

"What? What do you mean Decepticon activity?" Starscream cried with mock concern as he craned to look out of Bumblebee's windshield. It wasn't hard to miss the thick, black smoke bellowing into the air, almost smothering the two human helicopters buzzing around the area like flies. He had noticed it ages ago; he was surprised his pathetic human companions hadn't said something about it earlier. Then again, maybe they had and he simply hadn't noticed.

"Those two explosions that we heard just before Ravage showed up…well, they were caused by Decepticon jets," Spike explained, turning in his seat to look back at Sean. "Seekers, they're called, but more specifically, the bastards responsible here are called the Coneheads. Two missiles were launched into residential areas, we don't know why but it seems that they were meant to be a distraction for whatever Ravage was up to."

"Thankfully, one of the missiles hit a vacant building, but the other hit an apartment complex around here somewhere," Bumblebee said, picking up from where Spike left off. "Ooopp, and it looks like we've reached the end of the line here, guys."

The three humans climbed out of the yellow Beetle and stood before the road blockade, emergency service workers and journalists alike scurrying about madly on both sides of the blue and white tape.

"Looks like they've made a real mess of the place," Spike said angrily. "I can't wait till I get the chance to trash those Decepticreeps!"

"You and me both, Spike," Bumblebee said as he transformed into his bipedal form. "Prowl's around here somewhere, I'll find out what's going on."

"Ask him if there's anything we can do to help," Carly said with such humanity it made Starscream want to purge.

Pathetic creatures – and he included the Autobots in that category – so compassionate and righteous...they all deserved to perish and yet, for the first time in the Seeker's life, he was grateful for said virtues.

"Oh no…" Sean said, his voice shaking slightly as he too moved forward towards the barrier. "No…that…that looks my apartment block. The one that's burning...it…it is…"

"What?" Carly said, immediately turning to him. "Oh no, Sean... Did you...Sean, I'm so sorry..."

Starscream desperately fought against his desire to laugh out loud. Exploiting the weaknesses of others; it was all too easy.

"My...my home..." he stammered as both Carly and Spike approached him, their eyes filled with sickening pity. "All of my belongings...everything...everything all gone..." He fell to his knees dramatically. "What am I going to do now?"

_Brilliant acting Starscream, brilliant._

"Don't...don't worry Sean, we'll help you, okay? We'll find you somewhere to stay, we'll help you in any way we can."

"Yeah," Spike said as he placed a reassuring hand on Sean's shoulder; Starscream fought his desire to shake him off. "It's the least we can do after what you did for Carly tonight."

Starscream simply nodded his head; he had seen enough victims of shock to be able to mimic it closely.

"Spike, why don't you go and see what you can find out, let Bee know what's going on if you can find him. I'll stay here with Sean; I don't think he should be wandering around in his condition."

"You got it, Carly," Spike said as he placed a quick kiss on his girlfriend's forehead. "And don't worry Sean, you're in good hands. I'll be back soon."

Carly knelt at Starscream's side as Spike disappeared into the ever-growing crowd of workers and onlookers. He could feel the warmth of her body as she wrapped a comforting arm around his shoulders, her sweet scent teasing his nostrils. Surreptitiously, he glanced at her chest before returning his attention to the ground.

"Don't worry Sean, we're not going to abandon you," she reassured him. "Spike and I were going to stay with the Autobots tonight; I think, under the circumstances, it would be best if you came with us. Of course, we'll have to get permission first, but I'm sure it won't be a problem."

And there it was, the unmistakable sound of a trap snapping around the unsuspecting victim's neck.

"Th...thank you..." Sean muttered weakly, the corners of his lips lifting slightly as he stared intently at the ground.

_To be continued._


	27. The Arrival

_Well, it seems we've kept you waiting for too long once again; we apologise, life has been rather busy lately. Hopefully this chapter will compensate for our absence! Thank you as always for your reviews, although we don't have the time to reply to them all, we really do appreciate them. _

* * *

**Chapter 26**

**The Arrival**

Bumblebee couldn't help but smile as he watched his leader sink down on one knee to welcome their newest human guest, the gesture meaning so much to the young mech looking on. Since their arrival on Earth the Autobots had had the honour of being able to mix among the inhabitants of that strange planet, befriending many, but their newest ally...wow, he was something else.

The Autobot knew what it was like to fight Ravage without backup, being amongst the smallest Cybertronians he always seemed to make the perfect target for the feline. And it was never an easy battle either, as much as Bumblebee hated to admit it, the strength and sheer ferociousness of the beast always proving to be a frightening challenge.

Yet that was what made Sean's actions even more remarkable; there was such a huge difference between his own stature and that of the human's, and yet _he_ had been able to fight off Ravage almost single handedly, saving Carly in the process. The yellow Beatle turned his attention to the floor; he couldn't help but feel the slightest hint of shame ripple through his spark.

But now wasn't the time for such selfish thoughts, not while he was surrounded by his friends, celebrating an incredible victory. Swallowing his discomfort, he looked up at his companions again, forcing the smile back onto his faceplates.

"For your bravery and fearless actions, Sean," Optimus Prime spoke, "we are all truly grateful. I am sorry that the actions of our enemies have left you both injured and without a home, but I assure you that we will do everything that we can to repay you for your sacrifices."

"It...it was nothing, really," Sean said. "I mean, when you see a creep attacking women and children, you can't just stand there and do nothing. I'm sure others would have done the same in my place."

Sean seemed rather uncomfortable standing before Optimus; Bumblebee doubted it was nervousness – Sean came across as a rather confidant human – but still, something was bothering him. Maybe he was just feeling overwhelmed.

"Perhaps, but that should not overshadow what you have done today. You are a true hero, Sean, and you have my thanks."

"And mine," Spike chimed in, palming Sean's shoulder amicably. "I would have lost the love of my life today, if it wasn't for you."

Bumblebee was somewhat surprised when Carly remained silent; that wasn't right, she should have been singing Sean's praises. He rubbed the back of his head, suddenly feeling the need to speak for her.

"Heh, you should have seen him, Optimus!" Bumblebee said, his awe more than evident in his tone. "I mean, using himself as a shield...and that was after he'd already trashed that Decepticreep pretty bad! We should make him an honorary Autobot!" Bumblebee's statement was followed almost instantly by cheers as the throng of Autobots made their support for the idea more than clear.

Optimus raised his hand to silence the crowd; Sean laughed almost nervously. "Look," the young human said once the noise died down. "It's one thing to step in and help when an attack is happening right in front of you, but seriously, it's not my intention to make a habit of fighting these..._Decepticreeps_...on a daily basis. I'm just glad that I was able to help."

"You did more than just help, Sean!" Spike said. "Seriously, we owe you..._I_ owe you."

"Indeed...well, like I said..." Sean muttered uncomfortably.

"I have already discussed your situation with my Second in Command," Optimus continued, taking advantage of the momentary silence and gesturing at Prowl, "and we have decided to grant you shelter within the Ark, for as long as you need."

"That is very kind...thank you," Sean said, looking to Prowl before turning his attention back to Optimus. "I...I am very honoured."

"The honour is mine. We have spare quarters designed to suit human needs, consider them yours. If you need anything, please ask and we will see to make sure that you have it."

"Thank you, really, I...I don't know what to say..."

"I'm sure that many of my fellow Autobots would like to get to know you a little better, but it would be remiss of me to ignore the fact that you have suffered a great deal of trauma today; no doubt you will be wanting to get some rest. I am concerned, however, that you have chosen to act against Ratchet's medical advice; I would prefer it if you would allow one of us to transport you to a human hospital so you may receive the proper treatment for your injuries."

"I'm ok, honestly," Sean said, looking slightly awkward. "Ratchet did a great job rep...healing me, I really do feel better already."

"And as I told you earlier," Ratchet interrupted, a little too harshly in Bumblebee's opinion, "repairing humans is not my specialty. It would be best for your welfare if you would at least seek advice on whether you need some kind of antibiotic treatment to prevent infection."

"Hey, Carly weren't going out tomorrow?" Spike asked. "You could take him to the hospital."

"Yes, of course," Carly said, breaking her silence.

Bumblebee couldn't help but notice the slight smile that appeared on Sean's face.

* * *

Thundercracker ignored Skywarp for the third time in the last breem. Skywarp was his best – best as synonymous of only – friend, but it was very hard to achieve the patience necessary to stand him sometimes, especially when Skywarp made all those obvious, childish attempts to call his attention.

Eventually, Thundercracker decided to open their private channel and save Skywarp from being slagged by Megatron, who was sitting on his throne and talking with Soundwave in low voice and who would certainly not take kindly to the fact that his Seekers were chatting instead of attending to their work stations.

"_What?" _Thundercracker snapped through the comm link. _"Stop waving your arms at me, you idiot. I'm sure Soundwave already saw you!"_

"_So what? It's not like we're actually doing something interesting here… It has been pretty boring, if you ask me. We should at least be outside on some patrol duty."_

"_Megatron sent the Coneheads instead."_

"_Duh, yeah! That's exactly what I mean! The slaggers have all the fun while we bore our afts to the core in here!"_

"_I have to agree with you on that one."_

"_By the way, TC, do you have some news about Ramjet and his gang of loser slags? They were supposed to give Screamer the cover he needed to get into the Ark, but so far we haven't heard anything."_

"_I suppose their mission is already over. They returned to the Nemesis some breems ago."_

"_What? Why didn't you tell me?"_

"_For the Primary Program, 'Warp, are you isolated on one of Cybertron's sub levels or what? Didn't you notice that the launching tower opened for them, you slag head?"_

"_Uh, yeah… but I thought Ravage had returned."_

"_He hasn't. Your work station is connected to the main computer. Maybe you should try using it for a change."_

"_Alright, alright, stop lecturing me like the blasted creator I never had… It's just that I'm kind of worried, you know? Because of Screamer. Do you think he's already inside the Ark?"_

"_I hope for his own sake that he is."_

"_If I were those Autobots, I would have him dissected. If he was such a pest in here, imagine him in the Ark!"_

"_I thought you said you were worried about him… Never mind, I know how 'worried' you can get about our dearest Air Commander."_

"_Former Air Commander, you mean… sir!"_

"_Don't be such an aft head about it, you know my current position is only temporary."_

"_Not necessarily. Have you thought that Screamer may not come back to claim it? That would mean you would be Air Commander for good, and rightful Third in Command! Doesn't that tempt you? Oooh, slaggin' Primus knows it would tempt me… for less than that I would step on Screamer without thinking about it twice."_

Thundercracker didn't reply immediately. He would like to lie to himself and pretend he didn't care about his sudden position as commander of the entire Decepticon aerial forces. But he did care… and a lot. He had aspired to that position ever since the first cycle he joined the Decepticons, and had caressed it when he had been became part of the Aerial Elite… but he had his very own code of honour to follow. He wouldn't climb that remaining step in such a filthy way… Sometimes he hated himself and his _Autobotish_ ways so much…

"_Well, I won't," _he finally said. _"Screamer will fall because of his own mistakes, not because of my treachery – or yours. In the meantime, we have to help him. He's living through the worst time of his life and... well, he's our wingmate after all."_

"_Yeah right, worst time you said? I bet you a hundred energon cubes that right now, as we pity him, the slagger is getting laid and laughing at our expense, that's what he must be doing! Slag, that's what I would do if I were among such a huge female population. Did you know that this slagging planet has more females than males? Gee, those humans must have a lot of fun!"_

"_Really 'Warp, sometimes I wonder why Vector Sigma gave you such a bad imitation of a brain module… He must have really hated you."_

"_Hey! Air Commander or not, you just gained a punch in the face, TC! And court martial me if you dare!"_

"_Whenever you want, brother..."_

The silent conversation between both Seekers was interrupted when the main computer indicated that the launching tower was welcoming another traveler. Thundercracker didn't have to look at the screen to know who it was. Soundwave and Megatron had stopped talking and were staring at the elevator doors.

The new Decepticon Air Commander wasn't surprised when he saw Ravage entering the Command Centre as soon as the doors opened; but he was surprised to see that the robotic panther was limping.

And not only limping. One of his sides was partially torn, exhibiting sparking circuits.

Megatron frowned at the sight of the damaged feline. "What's Ravage condition?" he asked.

Soundwave approached his creation and sank to one knee before him. Ravage bowed his head and rubbed it against his creator's hand, expecting a caress that was immediately delivered.

"Functional," Soundwave coldly intoned. If he was disturbed about the damage to his eldest creation, he wasn't showing it. "37.43 percent of the motor functions of his right side are damaged, and one of his optics is shattered."

Megatron didn't reply, suddenly very interested in Ravage's condition. Thundercracker zoomed in his optical sensors too, noticing for the first time the dark stains on the panther's front paws.

Soundwave passed his finger over that precise spot. His voice sounded equally neutral when he spoke again, but Thundercracker was sure he could hear the hint of satisfaction.

"Starscream's blood."

From his work station, Skywarp stopped typing whatever he was typing. Two simple words, impossible until some cycles ago, but suddenly so powerful. Thundercracker could feel his wingmate's stare fixated on him. As much as he and Skywarp disliked Starscream, they still considered him their Air Commander and the wingmate that had flown with them for most of their lives. Imagining him slagged by Ravage was not a welcome image.

Megatron, on the other hand, didn't seem disturbed by the news. He smirked, with that evil smirk that was so terrible to see.

"So," he said calmly, as calm as the moment before a storm could be, "I take it Starscream was… incapacitated."

Ravage growled in response.

"Damaged, not to the point of termination," Soundwave translated.

"Good, good, just as I commanded… and just what he needed in order to obtain the Autobots' pity. Of course, the little slagger would never see it like that. And I see he didn't, as he obviously put up some resistance."

Another growl from Ravage, this time more ferocious than the previous one. Thundercracker wondered if the cyber panther was expressing his frustration.

"Don't let a little miscalculation bother you, Ravage. As always, you served me well. I have no complaints about your performance."

Ravage bowed his head as much as he could, showing his complete submission to Megatron. Thundercracker could see his soiled paws again, feeling every astro second more disgusted by that dark thing that was supposed to be Starscream's vital fluid.

"_Slaggit, TC!" _Skywarp said, opening their private channel again. _"Do you think Ravage shred Screamer to pieces? That would be amusing… but not that much, I'm afraid… What are we going to do if he's dead?"_

"_Didn't you hear? He's not dead, just damaged… As for how bad, I guess we won't know until we manage to sneak out of here and see it for ourselves."_

"Now that we've done Starscream's dirty work, I expect nothing but satisfactory results from him," Megatron said. "Otherwise, Ravage, you will have another meeting with him, this time without restraining yourself."

Ravage's optics shone with anticipated pleasure. His predatory instinct was certainly operating within him.

Megatron stood up from his throne and headed toward the exit of the Command Centre. "Repair Ravage and see that everybody receives their new orders, Soundwave. In the meantime, it's time for me to have a little chat with our favorite fleshling."

Thundercracker felt a shiver down his struts. When Megatron used that tone of voice, nothing good could be predicted for whoever stood on the other side of his malice.

Poor, poor Starscream indeed… Perhaps Thundercracker would be Air Commander for longer than expected, but the thought didn't give him any satisfaction.

_To be continued._

* * *

_We hoped you enjoyed, as always, your feedback is welcome :o)_


	28. Home Sweet Home

**Chapter 27**

**Home, sweet home**

Scale was something that had never bothered Starscream. He was both used to and comfortable with measures in a world of variety such as the Cybertronian one, but only because he had always had very respectable dimensions. It was only when he was turned into a human that he started to realize how important height was, and how insufferable it was to be on the midget's side.

He had been inside the Ark once – when he and Megatron had altered one of the Autobots' regeneration chambers to turn them evil – but he had been in too much of a hurry to really admire the interiors of the enemy's most important vessel and current base of operations. Only now, as he walked through it trapped in his flesh and blood prison, did Starscream begin to realize how impressive and _huge _that monster of orange walls really was.

"This is what you could call the Refueling Room," the male Autobot-pet informed him – Spike was his name, Starscream recalled… He'd better start calling those human pests by their denominations or he could make a fatal mistake at any moment. "It's where the Autobots refuel with Energon. It's like eating to them, although drinking would be a better way to describe it."

"I see," Starscream replied, trying his best to show slight interest. Not only he was utterly bored by having to listen the stupidest version of things he already knew, but he was hating every moment spent with that moronic Spike boy; the idiotic flesh bag talking as if he were some sort of expert in Cybertronian culture…

"It must be really interesting to interact with these cybernetic organisms on a regular basis," he said, addressing Carly, who was walking beside Spike, holding on to her boyfriend's arm. "They seem infinitely more advanced than our poor human kind."

Both Carly and Spike raised an eyebrow and looked at him with surprise. Starscream made a mental note to remember to avoid being critical about human culture… Slag, it was such an annoyance!

"Well," Carly said, "I wouldn't call two hundred thousand years of human history poor… but I guess you are right somehow. The Transformers are much more advanced than us, the rules of their society certainly very interesting when compared with ours."

"The _former_ rules of their society, you mean," Spike added, frowning suddenly and clenching his fists. "After the Decepticons started the war everything changed radically. Those assholes care for nothing more than destruction and conquest."

Now it was Starscream who raised an eyebrow. Did that human have such a narrowed mind that he had accepted the Autobots' propaganda so easily? Starscream had always been a true follower of the ideals of Decepticon supremacy, but he would have never reduced them to simple words such as destruction or conquest. And the war issue… For the Primary Program, did those humans actually believe it had been the Decepticons who had started the war? What kind of sick joke was that?

He had to make an effort to suppress the desire to punch Spike's face until his head became one with the wall. He focused his attention on Carly instead, a much more pleasant sight. He had been killing his boredom for the last few minutes imagining how she would look without her clothes and how would she perform on a berth, a curiosity that he was sure to satisfy very soon.

"Yeah, I heard some things about these Decepticons," he said eventually. "Very evil creatures, indeed. What they did earlier today was _so_ vile."

"Fortunately the Autobots always keep them under control," Spike added proudly, "and it's just a matter of time until they finally kick their lousy Decepticreep asses off of this planet."

_We shall see who kicks who, worm, especially after I give all the classified intel of your precious Autobots to my 'lousy' faction…_

"Anyway, we should keep the rest of this tour for tomorrow," Carly said, looking at Starscream with sympathy. "You look tired and you need to rest. Let's take Sean to his room, Spike."

Starscream followed them through another set of corridors until they reached one that featured doors of considerably smaller sizes. It was true, then; the Autobots had adapted some of the Ark's quarters for their human pets. What could be more degrading?

Spike headed toward a door located in the middle and pushed a red button. "This will be yours," he said. "You can add a password to your door if you want, but it's really not necessary. Everybody here respects each other's privacy, especially ours. Despite having been our friends for almost two years now, the Autobots still don't understand many things about humans' modesty and sometimes they can overreact."

"I understand," Starscream smirked. "So no walking in my underwear in the corridors, got it."

Spike laughed at the joke, but Carly didn't seem to find it amusing.

"There you have a bed, some cabinets for your clothes, a desk, a computer…" Spike said once he finished laughing. "That door leads to the bathroom and the other one to an emergency exit. Don't use it, though; you could get lost within the Ark's tunnels. Anyway, you'll see that this place is like a hotel. If you need something, just dial 9."

Starscream supposed that must have been some sort of joke because Spike laughed again and Carly grinned. Stupid humans and their pitiful attempts at amusement… _Let's see if you keep laughing when I interface with your girlfriend in ten different positions before breaking her pathetic heart, literally."_

"Right," he said, faking a smile. "Well, thank you very much for the briefing, you both have been so gentle with me... Now, if you don't mind, I would like to wash myself and have some rest."

"Sure, we'll be in the room next door, if you need anything," Spike said, starting to head towards the door.

"Just one more thing," Starscream said, doing his best to hide his second intentions. "This jacket that the paramedics gave me is very uncomfortable, and my pants are dirtier than I can tolerate. Would you happen to have some extra clothes to lend me?"

"I think some of your clothes would fit him, Spike," Carly said with a neutral tone that made Starscream realize that she had read between his lines.

Spike slapped his forehead. "Sure! Sorry Sean, I should have thought of that myself. I'll get you something whilst Carly explains the safety codes to you. It's a routine thing but you better know. I'll be back in two seconds!"

With that, Spike disappeared beyond the door's threshold, leaving Starscream and Carly alone, _finally._

He was sure she had been aware of his little antic to get rid of her annoying boyfriend, but Starscream didn't care. He preferred her to have some intelligence, thus the challenge of seducing her would be worth it and she wouldn't turn into an easy berth mate as Stella had been from the very first moment.

Carly frowned at him slightly before proceeding to the small computer. That made Starscream feel disappointed; he would have liked to hear her snapping at him rather than ignoring her own annoyance. _My dear, you don't know how accurate your instincts concerning me are… You should follow them now while you still can._

"The safety codes are a basic series of numbers that the Autobots insisted we learn in case we get in trouble," Carly explained. "The Ark is the safest place for a human as you will see, but still, Optimus wants us to be as safe and as comfortable as possible—"

"So your room is next to mine," he said, not having heard a word of what she had said. "Do you and your boyfriend share quarters all the time?"

The femme's face coloured slightly in red. Starscream smirked. Slag, it was so arousing to annoy her…

"That's none of your business," she said severely.

Starscream gave her his best seductive smirk. He had made so many femmes get on their knees – and some mechs too – with that same smile. He just hoped that, despite being a flesh bag now, the effect would be similar.

"Well, I hope you have your own room." he said. "Then perhaps you would be interested in having a nocturnal visitor."

"I would be," she said, confronting him with a challenging stare, "if such visitor were Spike, _my boyfriend."_

"Ouch," Starscream said, grinning as she turned towards the door.

"There is a kitchen at the end of the corridor," she said with no sympathy at all. "Spike and I always make sure to keep the fridge full, so if you get hungry in the middle of the night, just go and help yourself."

"What if I get aroused?"

She turned around and stared at him. This time her glare irradiated fury.

"Then go and stroke yourself against a bulkhead or something. What the hell is wrong with you?"

Momentarily taken aback by her outburst, Starscream decided to back off a little, just a little…

"Hey, don't get mad at me. I was just joking."

"I happen to find your jokes very tacky. I'm starting to understand why you lived alone. Who would be able to stand you?"

Starscream considered her words. He had to admit she had a point with that… None of his fellow Decepticons had ever liked him, not even his wingmates. The only Decepticon who spent considerable amounts of time with him was Megatron, and only because he was always looking forward to verbal and physical confrontations; his leader seemed to need them as much as Starscream did…

He got rid of that thought with a shake of his head. It was somewhat sick, now that he thought about it, especially because it was always him who ended up slammed against a wall or with a not-that-mild fusion cannon shot… "Um, well, I'm afraid I have no response to that one, except that it will be you who will have to… how did you put it? Oh yes, stand me."

Carly raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"You promised your Autobot friend you would take me to a hospital tomorrow to get examined, remember? Ratchet, I think that was his name… Of course, if you are not willing to honour your word I'm okay with that. I can go on my own, if I don't faint or bleed to death, that is."

She rolled her eyes considerably. "Oh, and now you are the poor victim, aren't you? Don't worry! I said I would take you to a hospital and that's what I'll do."

"You are such an angel," he hissed, unzipping the heavy jacket the paramedics had given him to replace his bloody shirt and jacket. He threw it to the bed nonchalantly, certain that his well shaped torso was doing its work on the femme's libido.

"I have a question," he heard her saying when he unbuttoned his jeans. "Do I happen to be a painting on the wall or did you just forget I'm standing here?"

"Uh?" he asked, trying to look as innocent as he could.

"I mean that it would be so kind of you to wait until I go before taking your clothes off."

"I'm just going to take a shower, like I said. Why the sudden interest? Would you like to join me?"

Carly's face reflected more than simple annoyance. "Who the hell do you think you are talking to? I don't know the kind of girls you usually deal with, but dare to speak to me like that again and you'll know what it feels to be slapped,_ really _slapped."

Starscream smirked. "My, my… I'm so afraid."

Spike arrived before she could say anything else, which highly displeased Starscream. The human boy was carrying a pile of clothes very enthusiastically, although his smile disappeared the moment he saw Starscream shirtless and with his jeans partially unzipped.

"Hey, thanks," Starscream said, taking the clothes from the boy's arms and not caring a slag about whatever he could be thinking. "I'll give them back to you tomorrow."

"You… can keep them," Spike said, confused. _Pathetic human worm… are you already jealous of me? Tss tss, this will certainly be amusing! You and your slagging bond mate will pay for giving me the mental image that turned me into a fleshling!_

"There are plastic bags in the cabinets," Carly said coldly. "Make sure to cover your bandages before showering. Let's go, Spike. Sean has had a tiring day and I'm sure he needs to cool down, don't you Sean?"

Carly didn't wait for an answer and seized Spike's hand, guiding him towards the door.

"Good night, friends!" Starscream said, doing his best to avoid bursting into laughter. "Thanks again. For everything, you know…"

As soon as the door closed, Starscream made good use of his recently discovered climbing skills and inspected every inch of his new room. He didn't find any hidden cameras or microphones. As he had suspected, the Autobots were beyond foolish concerning trust. But what could be expected from a gang of lame dreamers, after all? Another reason why they were losing the war; thousands of vorns of conflict and the Autobots still hadn't learned about the value of information, especially the kind of information that could be obtained from within their own ranks.

Starscream shrugged his shoulders and headed towards the bathroom, thankful for the tidiness of the place. He smirked, slightly surprised, when he took off his pants and noticed the bulge beneath his underpants.

"Now, easy there, my friend. You will have that femme in less cycles than you could count," he said in low voice. Talking to himself was nothing new, but talking to his intimate circuitry was another thing. Perhaps it came with the human condition. And to think that he had been so embarrassed by that hanging piece of flesh at the beginning… it certainly had proved to have its advantages.

Having a shower helped to, as Carly had said, cool him down, mostly because he had to keep his attention focused on not getting his bandages wet. Despite the plastic he used to cover them, water was a difficult rival to control. It was such a shame that Spike had returned; he was about to trick Carly into helping him shower using the excuse of the blasted bandages… but well, it would happen some other time. He had never failed in getting laid by whoever he might have found attractive by his standards – something that happened every once in a while – and this Carly femme was not going to be the exception. Well, there was _another_ exception, one that had been frustrating him for millenniums… just the thought of it made him clench his fists in anger. He didn't know who he hated the most: that certain brutish, maniacal slagger, or himself for being so weak.

When he finally felt satisfied by his personal hygiene he directed his steps to the bed. As he dried his hair with a towel, he shot a disdainful look at the clothes Spike had brought him and quickly decided he would rather spend the night naked. It was much more comfortable that way, not to mention that he had spent most of his human nights wearing no clothes at all. Of course, it was much better with a female companion by his side, but he had to be realistic and realize that he would have some lonely nights, especially now that he was already inside the Ark and with a crucial mission in progress, the reward being the recovery of his true self…

Starscream shook his head and closed his eyes, forcing himself to sleep. He felt more tired than he had thought, and his body ached in parts that he hadn't acknowledged before. _Slagging Ravage, slag you to the Pit… just wait until I recover my body and I'll show you who is the predator and who the prey!_

Starscream was beginning to fall asleep when, as if coming right from hell, the accursed voice of a _certain_ brutish, maniacal slagger drilled his head from inside. Still shivering in hate, the former Second in Command sat up on the edge of the bed to attend the call from his leader.

* * *

The sound of _that_ voice could never been forgotten. Even when carried through a plastic transmitter and interpreted through an inferior human aural system, it remained one of the most recognisable sounds in his universe. Starscream resisted the urge to raise his voice in anger as Megatron continued to bark at him from afar, resigning himself to the fact that clenched fists would remain his only vent during his time in the Ark. How he would have loved to shout obscenities at his tormentor at that moment...but doing so would only attract the attention of his new 'friends'. Curse his luck!

"_...Of course, I can't say that I was pleased to see the damage you caused to Ravage, and nor was he, as you would imagine. You might want to stay away from him from now on if you value your pathetic little life...although personally, I think I'd quite enjoy seeing such an encounter."_

Starscream thumped the edge of his bed in frustration, hate poisoning him like spoiled milk.

"Yes, and on that topic, oh mighty leader," he hissed through gritted teeth, "you might like to tell that slagging telepathic freak of yours that when the Second in Command orders Rumble and Frenzy to be sent, it's his _duty_ to do as he's told."

Megatron's cold laugh made itself heard through the comm. link, making the human shiver with rage. _"First of all_," he chortled in response, _"Soundwave _is_ the Second in Command. Surely I shouldn't need to remind you of that. And second, he was following orders. _My_ orders."_

"What?" Starscream shrieked. "Once again your logic eludes me, oh glorious one. There was a reason why I requested the assistance of those two runts and not that of their slagging beast of a sibling, as you should well know. Thanks to you I nearly died, and I'd hate to think what that would have done to your plans of infiltrating the Ark."

"_Stop being so melodramatic, you snivelling worm! You should be thanking me, you fool, without my intervention you would never have been successful."_

"Oh yes, and I will forever be in your debt, my leader. Slag! You are more insane than I thought if you think you actually _helped_ me today."

"_Now is not the time to jest, Starscream,"_ Megatron said, his voice taking on a dangerous tone. _"You do indeed owe me, and I expect your debts to be paid. I have a new mission for you, worm, so use that pathetic brain of yours and pay attention."_

The young man stood up abruptly at his Commander's words, no longer able to contain the fury inside. Who the slag did that megalomaniac think he was, Primus himself? "Excuse me?" he spat, exasperated. Do you actually think I'm here to play whatever sick games you dream up with Optimus Prime? I am here for one reason, and one reason only. To infiltrate the Autobot ranks and win their trust so as to put us in a position to attack. And in return, you will restore me to my true form, as agreed. I am not here to undertake side missions to please your whim, so you may as well save your words."

"_I see."_

Starscream began to pace as his hands clenched at his sides, a deadly silence invading the comm. link. It was tempting to say more on the matter, but he knew his leader too well to know he wouldn't win this battle. Slag his pathetic body, if only he could retaliate with threats and violence as he always did; if only he could simply switch off the communication device implanted in his head so he could simply ignore the slagger...

"_Hear this, _human_,"_ Megatron said finally. _"I have had Soundwave and the Constructicons working tirelessly to find the missing element required to replicate the waters of the Well of Transformation. To my disappointment, they have been more successful than I thought possible and have narrowed the search down considerably. You should understand that I will have no problems in telling them to cease their research. It does not matter to me if you are restored or not. So if you want them to continue searching for an answer, you will do as you are told. Choose to ignore me, and you will remain human for what's left of your pathetic and perishable life. Do I make myself clear?"_

The human shivered, biting his lip with helplessness. So that was how it was going to be then? Surrender to Megatron's slagged up games, or remain trapped in that revolting prison of skin and bones for all of his days. He kicked the bed and immediately regretted it, pain searing through his toes like fire.

"Slag it!" he cried, taking hold of his foot and hopping awkwardly. "You must know how it tortures me to say this, Megatron, but fine, you win. You win. So tell me, what is this mission you would have me fulfil?"

"_You really are such a wretched creature, Starscream, so easily dominated. It's a simple task, really, although for one such as yourself, it may prove difficult."_

"Enough with the slag, Megatron, you know I would do anything to be returned to my former glory, returned to the path of greatness. Nothing is beyond me."

"_You'd do anything? Interesting choice of words, Starscream, I shall keep that in mind. But no matter. Soundwave has recently developed a new programme designed to infiltrate computer networks and glean information without detection. Testing has proven it to be highly successful, and with it we will be able to acquire enormous amounts of data from Teletraan 1. However, in order to be able to breach Teletraan's security systems, we need to know the current access codes. Soundwave has been successful in ascertaining them in the past, but the process takes time. Too much time. We need to know them the moment they are generated, so as to maximise the window of opportunity, so to speak. Your task is simple. Install the programme on Prime's personal computer. While we will not be able to gain direct access to Teletraan at this point, it will give us the codes we require."_

"Simple task!" Starscream cried. "Why don't you ask me to infect Prime himself, while I'm at it? How do you expect me to gain access to his computer?"

"_That, Starscream, is not my problem. And didn't you just tell me that nothing is beyond you? Are you now telling me that you lied? Be careful worm, I do not abide liars."_

"You know that isn't what I'm saying!" Starscream said forcefully, sitting on the bed and inspecting his bruised foot. "For starters, how am I supposed to obtain this magical programme of Soundwave's, hm? In case you hadn't noticed, I now have an Autobot entourage. Although their trust in me is already sickeningly deep, thanks to the damage Ravage left me with, the damn slaggers will be watching me closely for weeks, just to make sure I'm functional. Plus, I no longer have a means of transportation, again thanks to Ravage. If you want me to do this, I will need it hand delivered."

"_That can be arranged, so long as you can distract the Autobots long enough to allow the delivery to take place."_

"I have an emergency exit located in my quarters, if you can find someone competent enough to find their way here then you shouldn't have any problem getting the programme to me. But if whoever you send gets caught, then don't go blaming me. I have a facade to maintain, and I won't have my chances of restoration blown because of the incompetence of others."

"_Perhaps I should send Ravage. He, unlike you, never fails in the tasks he's given. Ok, Starscream, I will be generous to you, just this once. In exactly two cycles from now, you will receive another communication from either myself or Soundwave. You will have whatever you need in place ready for the delivery. Fail in this, and you will be expected to retrieve the programme yourself."_

The communication ended immediately, giving Starscream no chance to retaliate. He lay back on the bed, arms behind his head in a position that hid his true turmoil. Curse that slagger, how was it possible for him to torture him so successfully...and in so many ways.

The human glared up at the ceiling, longing to see that well-known shade of purple. But he would not see purple again, not unless he carried out Megatron's deluded plans successfully. A fist of flesh impacted the wall. Curse that slagger.

Curse him to the pit.

_To be continued._

* * *

_Once again we would like to thank you all for reading and reviewing. While we haven't had the time to reply to you all, we really do appreciate your thoughts and encouragement._


	29. Street Punks and Waiting Rooms

**Chapter 28**

**Street Punks and Waiting Rooms**

The morning sun shone down warmly upon the two occupants of the red, open-top Mustang, the wind blowing playfully through their hair as they drove through the busy Portland streets. Starscream couldn't help but smirk at the whole situation; here he was, feigning the injured, respected within the Autobot ranks, and all alone with a super hot female who was certainly unwilling to 'cooperate'. Just the way he liked his females.

It had been easy, too easy almost, considering how difficult his first few breems as a human had been. It seemed that his release into the humans' nest had unleashed some kind of primal instinct within him, his survivor's instincts from his days in Kaon perhaps, and in no time at all he had found himself in the perfect position to take what he wanted. Although it may also have been because the humans weren't giant, alien robots intent on killing him because of some grudge or simply for fun like his Decepticon brethren were, but that was beside the point.

Yet despite the pleasure that came with his recent successes, Starscream wasn't one hundred percent comfortable with his current predicament. True to her word, Carly was driving him to the hospital, and _that_ was a problem. The Decepticon had peaked beneath his bandages earlier that morning, and as expected, had found that his Ravage wounds were almost completely healed. That in itself was a good thing, however, judging by Ratchet's remarks the night before, he wasn't sure he was _supposed_ to be so restored. In fact, that whore, Stella, had mentioned something on the matter before too...was it possible his self-repair circuits were superior to that of regular humans?

Even if that wasn't the case, allowing himself to be thoroughly examined by human doctors could potentially result in his cover being blown anyway; the abnormalities of his blood and heart would certainly increase the risk of becoming the subject of human experimentation even if they didn't work out his Cybertronian origins. He knew what those medical types were like, they were all sick and hungry for 'research subjects', no matter what the species. He repressed a grimace as an image of Hook and a bunch of humans standing over him with medical tools in hand appeared in his mind.

He needed to avoid the hospital at all costs...but how...that was the problem.

"You're rather quiet this morning, you feeling ok?" Carly suddenly asked, stirring Starscream from his thoughts.

"Oh, yeah..." Sean replied casually, turning slightly in his seat to look at her. "Just thinking. It's such a lovely day, isn't it?"

"Mmm...sure beats the rain we've had lately. Although I don't think this sunshine is going to last, it's meant to be wet again by next weekend."

"Really? Well in that case, it seems like such a shame to waste a day like this waiting around in a hospital. How about we go and enjoy it, huh, just you and me?"

"Ha, you really are scared, aren't you?" Carly laughed, taking her eyes off the road to inspect her companion.

Slag, her eyes glittered so nicely in this light.

"Yes, and what's wrong with that? And anyway, I already told you this morning that I'm feeling much better, your Autobot friend did a really good job healing me. Going to the hospital now truly is a waste of time."

"I don't think so, Sean. Ratchet knows best when it comes to things like this, so if he says you need to go, you need to go. Let the doctors decide whether it's a waste of time."

Sean ran a hand through his wind-tussled hair, that famous seductive smirk appearing on his face again. "We could do that, yes... Or, we could find some nice, secluded place and have some fun?" His eyes flicked down to her chest.

"Oh please!" Carly exclaimed indignantly. "You really are a jerk, you know that? Well, let me tell you something. And listen closely because I won't repeat it. I have a _boyfriend_. I am _not_ interested in you, and I _never_ will be. And if you even _try_ anything on me, today or any other day, I _won't_ hesitate to kick you where it hurts. Got it?"

"Woah, loud and clear." Starscream replied, shifting his eyes up to Carly's face again. "Gee, no need to get nasty, just joking, you know. So, how far are we from the hospital? The sooner this is over with, the better."

Carly glared at him for a few moments before looking back to the road, slowing down on the approach to an intersection. "Three blocks and to the right," she said with a humph, "but you should know that."

_Slag, Sean _should_ have known that! He slagging lives here, moron. _

"Ahh, yeah," Starscream replied with a laugh, "just lost my direction for a moment."

Three blocks...that didn't give him much time to get out of this. The ex-Seeker turned his attention to the streets around him, searching for some kind of escape. He was trapped, well and truly trapped, and if he didn't think of something quickly, his chances of being restored to his former self would amount to zero.

However, it seemed that fate had other ideas for him that day. Sean was about to make another remark of protest when suddenly something heavy landed on the Mustang's trunk, making the car bounce violently.

"What the fr...?"

Carly yelped in fear as she slammed on the breaks, the car fishtailing wildly, as Starscream turned to see what had hit the car.

His heart leapt as a familiar blue form, and an equally familiar red form, looked down upon him; devils and saviours rolled into one.

"What...what the fuck do you two want?"

"Hello, squishy," Rumble sneered as he jumped from trunk to bonnet, transforming his arms into pile drivers as he did so. "I gotta say, I'm su'prised ta see ya so functional. Ain't many squishies around that can take on our bro Ravage and not get slagged."

"Yeah, but don' go thinkin' yer somethin' special tho, _fleshy_," Frenzy continued, still standing on the trunk, fists curled. "'Cos yer not. Aaaaaand, we gotta message for ya."

"Oh, and what could two pieces of scrap possibly have to say to me," Starscream replied with a sneer, opening the car door and standing up to face them both. Carly slid across the car seat and stood next to him.

"Well, it's simple, squishy. You damaged our bro. An' no one gets'ta damage our bro Ravage 'cept us."

"So, now ya gotta pay," Rumble said simply, before launching himself at Starscream.

The human male couldn't help but cringe as the blue cassette impacted heavily against his body, throwing them both to the ground. A string of insults escaped his mouth as Rumble's pile drivers pounded the ground on either side of his head, if not for his own thrashing they certainly wouldn't have missed their target.

Rolling out from under his captor, Starscream caught sight of Carly reaching down to grab a soda can, which she subsequently threw at Frenzy. The little, red Decepticon simply laughed in response, and continued dancing threateningly before the female, preventing her from reaching Sean's position.

Something like a claw grabbed Starscream's jacket and he was dragged violently backwards. Rumble had transformed his arms back and started to shake his toy, definitely enjoying himself.

"What the slag do you think you are doing?" Starscream hissed, making sure that Carly was out of hearing range. "Let go me this instant and get the frag out of here, Rumble! This wasn't scheduled!"

Rumble smirked maliciously. "Nope... but this was!"

Suddenly, Starscream was flying, although it wasn't a pleasant experience. He landed heavily on the trunk of the wrecked car.

The sunlight became red and started to fade toward a blurry orange. Starscream would have liked to have enough strength to groan in pain, but his back hurt so much that he felt his vocalizer paralysed. He wouldn't have been surprised if all his bones were broken.

A shadow towered him, the optic visor shinning with immature amusement.

"No! Leave him alone!"

He blinked toward the origin of the voice. That naive, stupid human... why the slag wasn't she running away? Rumble and Frenzy were unpredictable and they would have no problems in tearing her yellow hair out.

A fist grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and lifted him up. "Aaaaw Frenz... see how she defends 'im? Doncha think it's sooo romantic?"

Frenzy burst into laughter. "Very! Hey fleshy, why doncha kiss yer boyfriend goodbye? 'Cause we're about to slag'im good!"

Starscream was thrown into the air again, a reluctant ball in whatever game Soundwave's runts were playing. He was caught by Frenzy this time, who didn't waste time in pinning him against a wall.

"Okay squirt, time to see if your arms will grow again once we rip them off!"

But Frenzy couldn't carry on with his threat –whether it was serious or not – because the twisted fender of Carly's car crashed against his helm.

Frenzy winced and Starscream used the opportunity to kick him in the face, managing to make him retreat one step. Next thing Starscream saw was Rumble grabbing Carly by an arm and throwing her away. When the female hit the open door of her car with her head and fell immobile to the ground, Starscream knew it had gone too far.

"Frag!" Frenzy said, giggling. "Ya killed her, bro!"

Starscream pushed Frenzy away as hard as he could and approached the motionless human. "Well done, you idiots! You just compromised my entire mission by terminating her!" _And before I could interface with her... frag it!_

Rumble approached too. "Calm down, Screamer, she's still breathin', see?"

"No thanks to you! And just what the slag did you think you were doing?"

"Helping ya, Screamer, what else? We thought ya could use it."

"I would drop dead before asking for your help, Rumble! Get the frag out of here now! You've already done enough damage."

"It's never enough!" Frenzy cried. "Your little bitch there dented my helm and now she has to pay!"

Starscream clenched his fists and stood firmly in front of the two Cassetticons. "I've had enough of being the object of your sick amusement! Hear this and hear it well: I will return to my former self, and once I do I will remember and punish you for every ignominy inflicted on me! I don't care what Megatron said, I still am your superior officer and that will never change! You morons should know better than messing with the Decepticons Second in Command!"

To his surprise, his little outburst had some effect, because Rumble seemed uneasy and rubbed his helm. "Hey, don't get mad Screamer... we're just havin' fun, ya know? Take it easy."

"Get back to the Nemesis and don't you ever stand in my way again, do you understand? Get the frag out of here!"

Rumble and Frenzy exchanged a shrug of shoulders and took off, leaving Starscream with a very big problem in his hands, in the shape of a possibly dead human female.

Starscream looked down at the unconscious form of Carly, blood dribbling down her face from a wound on her temple, matting her blonde hair. He was tempted to just leave her there, take the car and chase down those two slaggers until he got his revenge. But, frustratingly, he couldn't. It wouldn't do to let one of his new-found friends die, thus pissing off the entire Autobot army in just one cycle.

With less care than was necessary, Starscream bundled Carly into the back of her car, bumping her head against the door in the process. Her wound was still bleeding, which he knew wasn't good, and realised he'd need to provide some form of first aid before driving her to the hospital. Pressure, that was what was needed to stop the bleeding, just like stopping a fuel leak when the tubing wasn't accessible to tie off. Starscream looked down at his bloodied shirt and considered taking it off to use as a makeshift bandage...but the clouds had come across and suddenly it was so cold; why should he have to freeze, it wasn't like the human was actually dying? Plus, it would expose his bandages, and thus his 'need' to see a doctor. Definitely not a good thing.

He looked around the car, and finally settled on the fine, white jacket Carly had left on the back seat. With a tug he pulled it out from under her legs, and proceeded to rip off one of the arms, before tying it tightly around her head. There, he'd done his part, no one could complain now.

Starscream eased himself into the driver's seat and inspected the rudimentary controls; despite not having driven a human car before it all seemed rather simple – wheel for steering, stick for gear changes, so obviously one of those pedals was a clutch, a break and accelerator...simple.

For three and a half blocks, the cloud-swathed sun attempted to shine down on the two occupants of the red, open-top Mustang, the wind no longer blowing playfully through their hair as they drove, or rather, bunny-hopped, through the now-deserted Portland streets. Starscream bit back on a string of vulgar Cybertronian curses as he pulled into the hospital car park, pulling up and stalling on the dividing line between two spaces. Climbing out of the car he pulled the still-unconscious Carly into his arms, and made his way over to the large entrance marked 'Emergency'.

Starscream couldn't help but grimace at the sight that greeted him as he entered the Emergency Room; so many disgusting, sick and injured humans, sitting around miserably in a cramped waiting room...to his right a sparkling appeared to be purging her tanks into a bucket.

Disgusting.

The Decepticon unconsciously held his breath as he walked over to the reception desk, desperately hoping that whatever germs those humans were carrying were not contagious. Not that his system couldn't handle them, of course, but it was degrading to think he was being exposed to such filth.

A middle aged woman looked up at him from the other side of the desk as he approached, a warm, comforting smile on her lips. "How can I help you, sir," she asked.

"Ahh, my...my friend is hurt, she needs to see someone, right now."

"Ok, sir, well as you can see there are a lot of people already waiting here, so we need to assess how serious your friend's injuries are before making the decision to have someone look at her 'right now'."

"You've got to be fr..."

"Now sir," the lady interrupted firmly, "I know you are worried, but we have protocols to follow. If we treated people simply based on the order they arrived, we would have a lot of unnecessary deaths on our hands. Now, can you tell me your friend's name?"

"Carly," Starscream huffed impatiently.

"Ok, and her surname?"

Starscream suddenly realised he didn't know her surname – was that suspicious?

"I, erm, I don't know."

The lady quirked her eyebrow, but nodded her head in understanding. "Ok then. I can see she has a head injury, can you tell me how long she has been unconscious?"

Again, Sean considered his answer for a moment.

"Erm...about a bre...10 minutes...maybe a little more."

"Well in that case," the lady said, pulling out several pieces of paper and attaching them to a clipboard, "your friend _does_ need to see someone straight away. Does she have health insurance?"

_Does she have what?_

"I don't know."

"Well, are you able to pay to cover her costs if she doesn't?"

_Was she actually asking for _money_ in exchange for medical help? What kind of backwards society was this?_

"Yeah, I can do that."

"Ok, good..."

She turned away and called over a young man, speaking to him in a low voice so that Starscream couldn't hear what she was saying over the noise of the waiting room. Then, with that same calm, caring smile she had first greeted him with, she turned back to face him. The young man moved out of view for a moment, before appearing from behind a set of doors with what appeared to be a repair berth on wheels.

"The nurse here will take your friend, you may go with her but I need you to fill out some forms for me."

"Forms?" Starscream asked with surprise as the male 'nurse' approached and, placing his arms under Carly, guided her body onto the berth.

"Just some basic information," the lady replied; Starscream glanced at her before returning her attention to the nurse, and Carly. "It is important we know as much about her as possible, but if there are things you aren't sure of, just leave it blank. Here," she said, handing the clipboard to him, "you can take them with you, and you can give them to the nurse when you're done."

Starscream simply nodded in reply.

"Ok, sir," the nurse said with a bright smile, if you'd like to follow me I'll get you both settled into a triage room."

* * *

Carly's gaze was unnerving. For nearly a breem now the female had been watching him in silence, a strange look upon her bandage-crowned face. Starscream shifted uncomfortably in his seat and glanced up at the clock on the wall impatiently; perhaps her concussion was more serious than the doctor had told them.

"What?" he finally said, only barely masking his irritation at the whole situation.

Carly blinked in surprise before letting a tired smile creep across her face. "Just thinking that you've saved my life twice now in as many days. I guess I kinda owe you now, huh?"

_Indeed you do, female. And you will repay me too, make no mistake about that._ "It was nothing, really. I couldn't let those _vile_ freaks get away with attacking innocent people like that, after all."

"Mmm, well, there aren't many people around who would actually stand up to the Decepticons like that, even fewer who would survive. Oh, speaking of which, have you seen a doctor yet?"

"Oh, yeah," Starscream lied with an air of nonchalance, "While you were off getting your head x-rayed. As predicted, the doctor said I'm fine." As much as he despised those twin demons, he had to admit he was grateful for their inadvertent assistance in avoiding examination.

"I'm glad to hear it," Carly said warmly as she settled back into the soft pillows of the bed. Slowly, the smile faded from her face. "Still, I can't help but worry about you; what happened today wasn't a random attack, as those two creeps admitted. If they're after revenge, Sean, they won't stop until they've got it. They won't stop until you're dead."

_Heh, I'd like to see them try. Revenge will be served, but _I_ will be the one to serve it out. And you, my dear, will not be spared either._ "Cowardly bastards. Well, let them try it, I'm not afraid of them. Especially when I've got the Autobots on my side."

"Bravery won't save you if they send someone like Starscream out after you, Sean. Sure, the Autobots will do everything they can to protect you, even more so after this, but if the Decepticons really are out to get you, you're going to be in constant danger from now on."

Starscream stifled his sudden urge to laugh hysterically, hiding his growing smirk by leaning forward in his chair and running his hands over the back of his bowed head. _Why, thank you for the complement, fleshling._ "Guess I chose the wrong giant, alien robots to piss off, huh?"

"Just be careful, Sean," Carly said wearily as he looked up at her again, their eyes meeting.

"Carly!"

The young woman turned at the sound of her boyfriend's voice, an open smile returning to her features as Spike rushed to her bedside; Starscream's gaze remained fixed where it was.

"Oh Carly, I was so worried about you!" Spike said, taking her hands in his and leaning in to kiss her cheek softly. "When Optimus told me that you had been hurt, I...I didn't know what to think. How are you, is everything ok?"

"I'm fine, Spike, please don't worry. I have a minor concussion and the headache to go with it, but the doctor said I'd be back to normal in a couple of days."

Spike sat on the edge of her bed, her hands still tightly held in his. "Are you sure? I mean, you were attacked by Rumble and Frenzy! I...I just can't believe those Decepticreeps would dare to attack you like that! When I get my hands on them..."

"They weren't after me, love. They were after Sean."

Spike looked at Sean, acknowledging the man's presence for the first time. "Sean? What? Why?"

"It seems they're out for revenge," Starscream said with a sneer; Spike seemed to miss the fact that it was aimed at him. "For what I did to that Ravage creature."

"Shit..." Spike breathed, turning to look at his girlfriend for confirmation. "We need to tell Optimus, you need protection, Sean."

Starscream was about to reply when an unmistakable buzz made itself heard within his head. Someone was about to comm. him; probably those slagging runts wanting to brag, or their freak of a master...

"_Starscream, you got a moment?"_

To his surprise, the voice was not one he was expecting. Thundercracker.

"Yeah, well, I'll make sure to tell Optimus everything. Anyway, I should leave you two to it, you don't need me hanging around." With that he stood, and headed towards the door.

As Thundercracker hailed him once again, another voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Sean," Carly said softly. "Thank you."

* * *

Starscream closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He had had lungs for a while now, but he hadn't enjoyed oxygen as much as he was currently doing so. It smelled like freedom, a memory of something he once had had. He had always felt comfortable with heights, the place in which, being a Seeker, he was destined to live and die. Perhaps that's why he hadn't complained when Thundercracker had chosen the roof of that anonymous, gray building to deliver the spy program that he was meant to install on Optimus Prime's personal computer. He couldn't complain about the speed in which his comrades were progressing things either; according to his conversation with Megatron during his first night in the Ark he wasn't supposed to be hearing from them until now. He hadn't expected to actually collect the program so soon. Perhaps it was Thundercracker's doing…

Being away from the Ark was another imitation of freedom. He had had trouble avoiding bursting into laughter when Optimus Prime had apologized for the incident with Rumble and Frenzy and had insisted in offering him the Autobots protection. Starscream was reluctant to believe it, but it was true; Optimus Prime actually considered himself responsible for all the 'damage' the Decepticons had inflicted on Earth and its inhabitants… It was such a shame that Megatron hadn't known how to successfully exploit such an immense guilt complex.

Starscream leaned over the roof, struggling with the natural impulse of jumping and allowing the air to embrace him again. Six hundred feet separated him from the ground, six hundred feet that had belonged to his dominion only some solar cycles ago…

The wind messing with his hair didn't help. It felt furious, challenging, a gust of reminders of everything he had been and everything he had lost. The sky was his to take. He had claimed it the moment he had activated his optics for the first time.

The Prince of the Skies, the fastest Cybertronian jet ever built… and he wasn't able to fly anymore. It was so ironic, so cruel... If he jumped from that human building, his only destination would be the ground, his insides splattered all over the street…

"Hey!" the sudden purple flash brutally greeted him.

Normally, Starscream would have cursed Skywarp for scaring him that way, but he was too busy falling to a certain death.

Instinctively, he tried to activate his thrusters. But all he could feel against his legs was the fabric of his pants, toys of the wind, punishing his fragile skin.

He was only a few meters away from becoming one with the concrete street when the purple flash happened again and he was unceremoniously picked up in mid air by the black hand of his most hateful trinemate.

"Heh, I bet you thought I would leave you to crash," Skywarp sneered. "I gotcha pretty good!"

Starscream's already reddish face found a way to increase its vivid colour, helped by the wave of fury that closed his throat.

Skywarp laughed. "This has to be the first time you've been out of words, Screamer… Now hold on, princess. We're on our way!"

And the damn idiot teleported again. Or that was what Starscream thought, as he was engulfed by the dizziness and confusion of the innerspace in which Skywarp defied time and distance. The flashing light and the gusts of frenetic air happened two more times, until he was finally dropped on a surface he could easily identify now as grass.

He rolled down the hill until another hand stopped him.

"How many times have I told you that Starscream is not a toy?" Thundercracker said, grabbing his humanized ex Air Commander and placing him in a standing position against a tree.

"Seven, although what you said was that he wasn't a pet… Hey TC, watch it! I think he's going to purge his fuel tanks!"

Starscream bent over himself. For a moment he thought he was about to throw his guts up indeed, but he managed to control himself. He wasn't going to give that humiliating spectacle to his wingmates… again.

"You're such a weakling, Screamer," Skywarp laughed. "Okay, maybe I haven't teleported you as much as I have done with TC, but you should already be used to it."

Starscream returned to an erect position and leaned on the trunk of the tree, managing to breathe deeply for the first time since the beginning of his rough journey. "Maybe… the fact that I used to be a robot makes a difference… you idiot! I didn't have all these organic systems inside my body before! Did it occur to you that you could have killed me? Why the slag didn't you summon me here instead of the top of that building?"

Skywarp shrugged his shoulders. "Where would the fun be in that be? Besides, we couldn't afford to wait until you dragged your sorry aft here on one of those slow human vehicles you use now. Unlike you, we have things to do."

Starscream clenched his fists and shot daggers at Skywarp. "Things to do? And just what the slag do you think I have been doing, you moron? Enjoying myself?"

"You tell us," Skywarp said maliciously. "Rumble and Frenzy said you looked very happy fooling around with that Autobot pet two solar cycles ago. Aw, little Screamer got himself a girlfriend!"

Low hit. Starscream loved the resource, but only when he was the one who inflicted it. "Whatever I was doing when those two runts attacked me is none of your business! And why the frag didn't anybody inform me about that attack? Rumble and Frenzy almost ruined my cover!"

"Megatron thought the Autobots would need some further motivation to admit you into their nest," Skywarp said. "And Soundwave suggested that course of action."

Starscream grimaced. "Soundwave… of course."

Skywarp 'gently' patted Starscream on the shoulder with one of his fingers, sending him jolting several meters down the hill. "Why do you complain, Screamer? Didn't it work? I bet the Autobots think you're their responsibility now. I pity them."

"You… should pity yourself if you ever hit me like that again! Now give me the slagging program and let's get this over with. I have to return to the Autobots as soon as possible or they will suspect something. I had to escape through the underground tunnels of the base in order to avoid being noticed, otherwise they would have given me a slagging bodyguard."

"Not yet," Thundercracker said, addressing him for the first time. "Remove your clothing."

Starscream stepped back, totally taken by surprise. "What? What for?"

"Just do it," Thundercracker repeated. From the cold tone of his voice, it was obvious he wasn't joking.

"TC has this theory about your self-repair circuits," Skywarp said. "He believes that you shouldn't have survived Ravage's attack, or that at least you should be fatally wounded."

Starscream frowned. So he hadn't been paranoid about that matter after all… Despite the cold, he stripped to his underwear and removed the bandages he still had wrapped around his torso. As predicted, there was nothing but scars there.

"Mmm, just as you said, TC… You know, Screamer? Ravage has slagged more humans that I could count with attacks such as that one, and yet here you are… alive and kicking. How do you explain that?"

The truth was that Starscream would have liked to know that himself.

"Thundercracker… Soundwave kept a sample of my blood, didn't he?"

"Yes, at least I think he did."

"I need you to find out if he did further tests on the sample."

"Hey, I can do that!" Skywarp said. "I'm the teleporter here, remember?"

Starscream shot his black wingmate an angry look. "Yes, and you are also the idiotic one. How many vorns have you been a teleporter and you never managed to become an averagely decent spy?"

"Yeah? Well, you're about to become slime under my foot!"

Thundercracker rolled his optics. "Would you two stop that? I'll see what I can find out about your blood, Starscream. In the meantime, you are right about returning to the Autobots as soon as possible. I'll fly you as close to the Ark as I can without being detected by their radars."

"Hey, wait," Skywarp said, seeing that Starscream was beginning to put his clothes back on. "Take off that small white garment first."

Starscream frowned and looked down at his underwear protectively. "Slag no! Why would I do that?"

"Relax. I just want to see if you are circumcised. I didn't pay attention when you were showing off your bare fleshy little aft through the entire Nemesis, you know?"

"_Circumcised?"_ Thundercracker repeated the word that he obviously didn't know.

"It's a human thing, TC. You wouldn't believe what those fleshlings do to their intimate circuitry… They chop it down!"

"Well, that's none of your fragging business!" Starscream said, blushing and hurrying to button his pants. "Besides, I'm perfectly uncut…" he added in low voice.

"Did you say something, Starscream?" Thundercracker asked.

That was certainly another word that his trinemates wouldn't be able to understand and he would never be in the mood to explain it to them, even less to exemplify. He was having enough with all the discoveries he was making about the human race by himself.

"Where's that program?" he said as he zipped his jacket, making a mental note that he should be careful with what he said, even with his wingmates. No… _especially _with his wingmates.

Thundercracker kneeled and subspaced a small metallic container the size of a human wallet. It seemed even smaller, lost on the blue Seeker's finger. "The program is ready to run. All you have to do is attach the device to Optimus Prime's computer."

Starscream sneered. "Yes, what a piece of energon cake… I'm so lucky I always get the easy jobs."

"Finally, we agree on something," Skywarp said.

Starscream breathed deeply. He wasn't in the mood to have another argument with Skywarp. He never was, actually, but Skywarp always found a way to anger him.

"There's something else I need to know."

"What? If somebody has been messing with your quarters? I hate to tell you this, Screamer, but I've been using them for my private activities, you know how it is…"

Starscream ignored Skywarp and addressed Thundercracker. "Megatron said he has made some progress in the duplication of the water of the Well of Transformation. Is this true?"

Thundercracker looked uncomfortable. "Uh… to be honest, I don't have any information in that regard."

Starscream punched the palm of his hand. "I knew it! The rusted slag bucket has me doing his dirty job for free!"

"Hey, he may be doing it in secret," Skywarp said. "I know that he and Soundwave are working on something."

"Yes, on getting rid of me," Starscream hissed somberly. "First they send Ravage to shred me, then Rumble and Frenzy completely humiliate me, and now I'm supposed to sneak into the quarters of Optimus Prime himself and upload some unknown program into his personal computer? What's next? Will our fearless leader order me to destroy all the Autobots with my bare fists?"

"I'm very sure this program is genuine; I checked it myself," Thundercracker said. "As for Megatron's possible second intentions, I'm afraid we can't give you any information. Personally, I don't think Megatron assigned you this mission only to see you slagged, at least not entirely. But if you have a plan B – and I suppose you have it because you are a distrustful slagger – I suggest you follow it."

Starscream frowned and folded his arms across his chest. Of course he had a plan B, and of course he wouldn't put his entire life and restitution of his former Cybertronian self only in Megatron's hands. As always, he would find a way to rotate any situation to his advantage, his mind already weaving the way to make it happen.

"Fly me back to the Ark," he said. For the first time since his mission had started, he was really looking forward to returning to the Autobots' base. Time had come to set plan B in motion.

_To be continued._

_

* * *

_

_This fic has been a bit neglected recently, but we hope to make up for it in the next few chapters. Screamer's plan is only just starting to take shape, and we'll give 1000 enegon cubes to the person that can work out where all of this is going..._


	30. A Tale of Two Plans

**Chapter 29**

**A Tale of Two Plans**

It was a surprise to discover a distinct similarity between his Commander and that of the Autobot army, but as Starscream climbed cautiously out of the ventilation system and into Optimus Prime's office he realised that the two opponents spent vastly too much time locked away in their private space away from their troops. It had been a frustrating wait, sitting in the dark, claustrophobic vent, desperate for Prime to take his leave, but his patience had paid off and now, finally, he was able to get Megatron's plan underway.

In other words, 'Plan A'.

He walked across the vast room and carefully climbed up onto the desk, watching the doorway as he approached the enormous console. Once again Starscream found himself wishing for his Cybertronian senses – it would be just his luck for the door to slide open the moment he began working – and his shoulders tensed despite the faint hint of pleasure he was deriving from his current situation.

As seemed to be the norm when it came to fooling the Autobots, it was all too easy. The computer remained on and whilst the colossal keyboard did pose a challenge, a short display of athleticism – and perhaps a little dancing – soon resulted in reaching the installation screen. Starscream reached into his jeans pocket and extracted the small metallic box Thundercracker had given him. Opening it carefully, the human removed the drive containing Soundwave's programme and inserted it into the console hastily.

Reams of Cybertronian script scrolled furiously over the blue screen as various windows opened and closed, firewalls crumbling and then reinstated as the programme began to imbed itself within the Autobot network. Starscream drummed his fingers impatiently on the desktop as he knelt in front of the machine, hoping like slag that Soundwave's stupid programme would do what it was supposed to quickly. Not that he was relying on Plan A so much, it just seemed to be such a slow and drawn-out plan, one that was preventing him from making any progress on Plan B.

Prime's computer began to shut down as a small smirk began to form on Starscream's face. Ahh, how pleasing it would be if he managed to find the solution to his horrible situation _without_ Megatron's slagging help. The look on the tyrant's face as Starscream returned in Cybertronian form to the Nemesis, told the slagger what he could do with his useless plan and threats...it would be priceless.

The computer began to reboot itself, and a voice made itself heard from beyond the doorway.

"_...agree tha' th' human needs protection, Prime, but ah reckon he'd be safer somewhere else right now. Outta th direct line of firin', so tah speak."_

The human sneered; he could pick the unmistakable drawl of Ironhide anywhere.

"_That is something that we will need to discuss with Sean. Whilst he is willing to accept our help and protection at this stage, he may not be willing to leave his life behind. We have seen many humans take the risk of remaining in the past...and you know as well as I do that we can't blame them for wanting to stay."_

They were so disgustingly pathetic, trying to do the 'right' thing by the miserable human race...it made him feel sick to the stomach just thinking about it. But there was no time to waste on such thoughts as the voices drew closer; it seemed Prime was planning on returning to the solitude of his office.

"Slagging hurry up..." Starscream hissed as the computer whirred back to life to finish the installation. Cybertronian characters returned to the screen as the process was finalised, and Starscream ripped the drive from its slot as the door unlocked with a click.

Without a second thought, the human hurled himself off the top of the desk and sprinted back to the ventilation shaft. He had desperately hoped to avoid that horrible system of tunnels on his exit, but as the door slid open he realised he had no choice and scrambled into the darkness as quickly as possible.

Ok, so perhaps it _had_ been a little arrogant to assume he'd be able to walk out of Prime's office via the door...

* * *

Over the vorns, cursing Megatron had become Starscream's national sport – that, and trying to overthrow him. But Starscream didn't remember having dedicated so many colorful terms to his insufferable leader as he had done during the past few hours. He had also used new terms acquired during his human experience, which he couldn't wait to shout personally into the junk bucket's face once Starscream recovered his real frame. Of course, he was sure that Megatron would beat the slag out of him after being called 'motherfucker', but Starscream would take ten beatings in a row just for the priceless expression that his fearless leader certainly would have.

Ah, the small joys of life…

But any kind of verbal or physical revenge would have to wait. He had other priorities for the moment, such as how to avoid falling to an imminent death.

As Starscream made another attempt to climb through the ventilation shaft, he realized that the one thing he missed the most about his real self was his ability to fly. Never in his life had heights or gravity been a problem, but recently they were turning into threats to his life worthy of being considered… just like the situation he was currently in. The Decepticon Aerospace Commander, the fastest Cybertronian flier, the Vosnian Prince… struggling to avoid falling from the slippery walls of a simple, ordinary and _orange _ventilation shaft…

Nothing could be more degrading.

He was wrong. There was something worse, as he realized when his hands and body slipped on the slagging flat surface and he reencountered the familiar feeling of a free fall, only that this time he didn't have his thrusters to save him at the last moment.

The grill of the ventilation shaft at the bottom of the metallic tube was the only thing separating him from the abyss. By Cybertronian standards, such fall would mean nothing, but a human couldn't expect to survive. Starscream hoped, truly hoped, that the grill would hold his weight.

When his body hit the damn grill he sighed – and groaned – relieved. It had hurt like hell, but at least he wouldn't end up a pulp of blood and bones on the floor after all, not precisely the kind of death he considered glorious. A creak beneath him proved just how wrong he had been.

He was doomed after all.

He cried. Unceremoniously, he was certain, but since he was about to die he didn't give a slag about the honour a Decepticon warrior should have at the moment of his termination.

An anticipated thud ended his fatal journey, much sooner than expected... and considerably softer. Had he hit the floor? It couldn't be; more than crashed, he had landed on something, something flexible, gentle…

"Are you okay?" a deep and peaceful voice said.

A voice he knew too well.

Starscream raised his head and had to make a big effort not to turn his expression of astonishment into a grimace of hate. It had been a while since he had seen Skyfire for the last time. If it were up to him, the slagger would be buried under ice for another four million years.

"Yesss," he hissed. "Thanks to you, I suppose."

Skyfire smiled candidly with that big, disgustingly kind face of his, and leveled the hand sustaining Starscream to his huge optics. If Skyfire had been considerably taller than Starscream before, now he looked like King Kong.

"So you are Spike and Carly's friend, right? I heard some of the Autobots saying you were going to stay here for a while, but I haven't had the chance to meet you because I was out on an exploration journey. It's very nice to meet you."

_Nice? Nice would be to shoot you right between the optics, you loathsome loser. _"Mm… The pleasure is all mine. I'm… Sean."

The oversized dolt grinned. "I heard that too. What were you doing in the ventilation system? Did you get lost?"

Once again, Starscream had a hard time forcing himself not to grimace, or at least telling that annoying slaghole what an insufferable moron he was. Millions of years may have passed, but Skyfire was still the same dolt he had always been. There was no wonder why he had never given Skyfire what he had always wanted from him.

"I was exploring," Starscream said, a part of him eager to shout in Skyfire's face how he had been hacking Optimus Prime's personal computer. "And I don't know why I ended up in that ventilation system… It's so big in here."

His excuse was lame and he knew it, but he also knew that Skyfire had a naturally trusting nature and wouldn't think that one human would be involved in something dark, especially considering how fond he seemed to be of the fleshlings.

"Another reason why you should be more careful, Sean. Were you looking for Carly and Spike? They are outside, playing with Bumblebee. They brought Chip too. Do you wish to join them?"

"Em, no… perhaps later. I was actually looking for Wheeljack's laboratory. Do you know where it is?"

"Two corridors to the left… I don't mean to pry, but why are you interested in Wheeljack?"

_Of course you meant to pry, you always mean to pry! You were never able to stay away from my slagging business! _"I heard that he's a scientist and I wanted to know if he needs an assistant. I'm kind of interested in science myself… and I'm sure I could learn so much from your kind."

Skyfire's grin increased. "Oh, so you like science? How curious, I am a scientist myself too."

_You don't say… _"Really? Of course you must be... You said you were out on an exploration journey."

Skyfire nodded. "Yes, to the Amazon Jungle. I'm currently undertaking an investigation into giant anacondas, some of the most fascinating creatures I have found on this planet."

Starscream repressed a shiver, remembering how one of those 'fascinating creatures' had scared the slag out of him when he and the Decepticons had found the Nemesis buried in the terrestrial zone known as South America. He didn't want to imagine what that same creature would do to him in his current shape…

"Right… So you said I could find Wheeljack three corridors to the left?"

"Yes. I was heading there, so I'll take you myself."

"Ah, that would be good, thank you," Starscream said as politely as he could.

Skyfire smiled, and lowered his hand slightly as he began to walk through the corridors of the Ark. "You know, I think Wheeljack will enjoy having another helper about the place. He's been able to achieve so much with the help of Sparkplug and Chip in particular, it's amazing how many inventions they've been able to create that are hybrids of Cybertronian and human technology."

Once again Starscream repressed his desire to grimace. Hybrid technologies...it was no wonder why the stupid slagger Wheeljack never seemed to create anything that worked, corrupting the purity of Cybertronian technology with such inferior slag.

"Well, I'm certainly looking forward to seeing their achievements," Sean said warmly. And he wasn't necessarily lying either; he was looking forward to seeing something in particular, although it wouldn't be his first time.

"Wheeljack will be more than happy to show you, I'm sure of it," Skyfire said, approaching a large set of double doors.

_He'd better be..._ "Great, I really can't thank you all for your generosity, really."

* * *

Thousands of vorns of practice had made of Starscream a master of hypocrisy. Ever since his youngling days as a science student, he had been able to mimic expressions and feelings he was very far from computing. That had gained him an important amount of favours, a wide variety of lovers and an increasing number of enemies.

One of the very few positive sides of being human was that he had a considerable amount of muscles in his face, all able to be used for those purposes of pretension. And he was certainly doing a great job, as his current position in the Ark proved. There he was, the most hated Decepticon comfortably installed within the enemy's nest. Being human seemed to be enough for the Autobots to automatically like him, but being the target of the Decepticons had made him an instant magnet for everybody's sympathy. Shallow minded as they were, the Autobots were easily guided by dysfunctional feelings such as pity and heroism, all weaknesses that Starscream _loved _to exploit.

Of course, there was a limit to playing the nice, stupid guy, and Starscream was currently reaching it, as he listened for the fifth time the same explanation of a procedure he could have done with his optics offlined, over energized and with one, perhaps the two, hands tied at his back.

"… and then we weld the secondary circuit. See?" Wheeljack said, apparently very happy at having a human pupil eager to watch his mad, and potentially dangerous, experiments.

"Awesome," Starscream said, using his latest acquisition of human language. He had detected several anomalies in Wheeljack's methods in just one morning. He made a mental note to keep that junk scientist functional. The Autobots would never win the war if they had such pathetic specimens among their science crew.

But Wheeljack had also his displays of genius. Not caring, and actually not listening, to whatever Wheeljack was saying, the humanized Decepticon took a discreet glance over his shoulder, fixating his anxious stare on a distant machine stored at the back of the laboratory. Salvation covered by a blanket, the only hope of returning to his real self without submitting to Megatron's antics to blackmail him.

"You have a lot of things here," he said, casting a glance over all the machines spread through the room.

Wheeljack stopped welding the computer motherboard and followed Starscream's gaze with some melancholy. "Ah, yes… old inventions, some of them not very functional… even slightly dangerous."

Starscream sneered. "Really? What is that one, for example?" he said, pointing toward a spider-like device that he couldn't figure out by himself.

That picked Wheeljack's interest. "Oh, that's the anti Robo-Smasher."

_What the frag… _"The anti… what?"

"The anti Robo-Smasher. You see, Sean, the Decepticons had an evil piece of machinery named the Robo-Smasher, which they used to reprogram Cybertronians and turn them evil. My version does something similar, reprograms Decepticons and turns them good… in theory."

Starscream frowned. Was that lunatic talking seriously? The Robo-Smasher had been a complete failure since the very beginning – he had mocked Megatron endlessly for that, which gained him a couple of beatings that had been worth every broken joint. But seeing the bizarre Autobot version of such monstrosity made him want to purge his lubrication valve in pure disgust. Were all the Autobots morons? There was no doubt that Megatron was an old fashioned, incompetent fool if he couldn't defeat mechs with such loathsome processors.

"I see," Starscream said, trying not to laugh. "And have you used it?"

"Er, no… I mean, yes, just once… but it didn't work. I shot a Decepticon with the anti Robo-Smasher but nothing happened to him."

Starscream rubbed his chin. Now he remembered… He had seen Wheeljack using that piece of junk to shoot a pink ray at Ramjet once. Aside from complaining about having tickles for a week, no change had happened to his relentless former wingmate.

"Well, it may work next time, you never know…" Starscream said, turning to the real object of his attention. "What about that one?"

Wheeljack put his hands on his hips and straightened his stance proudly. "That, my little friend, is one is my biggest achievements. Please your eyes with the only technology available to transfer a human's mind into a Transformer's body."

With that, he removed the big blanket. Starscream blinked when the dust spread above his head, but looked hungrily toward the big, yellowish machine before him and the two thick helmets.

"Really?" he said, trying to sound genuinely surprised and hiding all his second intentions. "I wasn't aware that was even possible."

Wheeljack chuckled. "Neither you nor anybody else. This is an experimental invention, actually. I built it for an emergency situation, when Spike's body was so damaged that his mind needed to be away for a while to allow the proper repairs to happen. In that time, we transferred his mental impulses to the body of Autobot X, an experimental project that Sparkplug developed."

Of course Starscream knew that, but he had to keep going with the useless questioning before getting to what he wanted. "And… did it work?"

"Oh, affirmative, although not as I expected."

"What do you mean?"

"Well…" Wheeljack sighed, his head-fins dimming in shame. "Spike's mind wasn't comfortable within a Transformer body. He was nervous, unstable… at the end being outside his real self turned out to be a threat to his sanity, so as soon as his body was repaired, we returned his mind to its proper vessel."

"Still… the procedure worked. Could you do it again, with another human?"

"Yes, I guess I could… Why? Are you interested in giving it a try, Sean?" Wheeljack chuckled.

Starscream hurried to shake his head. "Not in a million years. I wouldn't change my real frame for anything else."

Wheeljack seemed somewhat confused by Starscream referring to his body with the word 'frame', but the Decepticon wasn't paying any further attention to the Autobot scientist. The Autobot Spike experiment had been a failure because the human germ was nothing more than that, a fleshling with a lifespan shorter than a sigh and a mind unable to process the complexities of a Cybertronian body. Starscream, on the other hand, was an entirely different matter. He was sure that if the process was applied to him, the result would be a success. Perhaps he would be able to tell Megatron and his sick little games to frag off after all.

But for that, he would need to find out everything he could about that bizarre machine and manage to steal it to use it on himself.

Submerged in his thoughts, he didn't hear the door opening, but Wheeljack's shadow towered him as the Autobot stepped forward.

"Hey, Carly!"

Starscream grimaced. Give it to the annoying female pet to arrive with the perfect timing to ruin everything.

"How you are doing, Wheeljack? I was wondering if you could lend me your assistant for a while."

Starscream looked at her bruised and bandaged form suspiciously. If that request would have meant getting naked with the human and fragging all her ports off, he would have gladly considered it, but knowing how boring and stereotyped her personality component was, her request for his presence was a complete waste of time, especially considering how close he was to the only thing on that planet that could give him his body, and dignity, back.

She smiled at him, an unexpected – and not entirely unwelcome – change in the attitude she had had concerning him so far.

"Have a nice time, kids," Wheeljack said, covering Starscream's hopes with the blanket again. "Come back whenever you want, Sean."

Oh, he would definitely do so.

_To be continued._

_

* * *

_

_Do you guys remember the Robo-Smasher, the one that Megatron used to turn the Constructicons evil – even though in another chapter they were the ones that built Megatron? Yeah, we also thought that such machine was rather absurd. If one machine could turn good robots into evil, then the Decepticons would have won the war in two days._

_There is also a wink to the famous scene in which a giant snake – we suppose it was an anaconda – falls over Starscream. Now that was a BIG snake! See what you can do against that one, Jennifer López!_

_And, of course, you may remember 'Autobot X'._

_We hope you enjoyed the chapter and that you are still enjoying your December celebrations. Thanks for all your support, guys :o)_


	31. Desperately Searching for Starscream

_IMPORTANT author notes: The second half of this chapter will include explicit mature situations. We intended to tone the scene down, but some of you – you know who you are, girls ;o) – PM'ed us and asked for that kind of content. So here you go, a little present to you smut lovers. _

_As for the people who don't enjoy that kind of scene, we recommend you just to skip it. We don't mean to offend anyone but we also wanted to give a little treat to some of our dear readers._

_Finally, we also want to make it clear that this is only fanfiction written for fun – and, as we just said, to treat our readers. In no way at all we are defending or condemning certain kinds of intimate behaviors. Human nature is as diverse as the universe itself and, in the case of this particular scene, there is a point we want to make clear in which the smut is rather secondary._

_

* * *

_

**Chapter 30**

**Desperately Searching for Starscream**

Starscream raised an eye brow, not sure about how to react to the bright motorcycle stationed outside the Ark's entrance.

"Mm," he said nonchalantly. "I don't understand. Is this supposed to be mine?"

"Yes, I told you it was a gift," Carly said. "Do you like it? I don't know why, but I think red suits you."

Red suited him all right, it had suited him since the day he left the assembly line and he realized how good it suited in his slim, perfectly shaped, aerodynamic body. "I like it, yes. But why are you giving this to me?"

Carly approached the bike and unwrapped the silver ribbon from one of the handlebars. "You saved my life… twice. It sounds easy, but it's not. You were so brave and honourable… risking your life the way you did. Consider this as my way to say thank you."

Starscream was confused. Nobody had ever given him anything in his life. Ever since his first days of life he had learned that everything had a price. And what would be the price to pay now? His pride?

Suddenly the slight amount of amusement he felt for the bizarre masquerade was no more. If that human knew who he really was, brave and honourable were the last words she would use to describe him. She would hate him instead, insult him, run away from him… He didn't know why, but he hated that image.

The flesh germ seemed to notice his confusion because she grinned candidly – damn her and that pitiful attitude of hers. "Look, I don't mean to hurt your macho pride, okay Sean? You destroyed your bike because of me, it's the least I can do. Please accept it."

Starscream smirked and folded his arms across his chest, trying to return to his comfort zone. "Well, if you wanted to thank me so much, I could think of other ways."

Carly sighed and shook her head, handing him the ribbon. "You just have to be a jerk all the time, don't you Sean? I bet you could think of other ways in which I can thank you, indeed, but that's where those ways will stay, in your fantasies. I'm so sorry if you find my gratitude so laughable, but that's the only gratitude you will have from me."

"We shall see," he said, frowning at the ribbon and getting more and more uncomfortable with her words. "What's this for?"

Carly turned her back to him. "That's for you to wrap around Sean junior and cool down."

"Point taken – for now," he said, walking toward the bike and putting the helmet on. He was getting tired of being grounded after all. Perhaps some speed would help him to clear his mind, even though the skies were still forbidden territory.

"Where are you going?" Carly asked, turning to face him again.

He mounted the bike. "I'm going to give your gratitude a try. Wanna come?"

For a moment she seemed to be considering his suggestion, which caused him a slight but noticeable increase of temperature in the lower part of his body, but when she slowly shook her head, whatever he was feeling turned into frustration… again.

"No… Spike will be here soon. Maybe some other time," she said curtly, turning around and disappearing through the Ark's entrance.

Starscream didn't even know why he was feeling suddenly so angry. It wasn't because of that annoying human, that was certain, but something was messing with his organic brain in a way he couldn't identify. What kind of dark shadows did humans have, that were beginning to engulf him?

He shook his head and started the engine. He just knew he had to get away from there fast, or his fragile sanity would give him an ultimatum. Suddenly, he could hear Wheeljack's words regarding Autobot Spike again. "…_in the end being outside his real self turned out to be a threat to his sanity…"_

When Starscream left, all that was left behind was a cloud of dust and the lonely silver ribbon, so quickly forgotten.

* * *

Sky and solitude had always meant freedom. The only reason why he had chosen to explore the galaxies after graduating from the Science Academy was because he was eager for that solitude, the mantle that had covered him for the vorns to come no matter how many fools, how many failures and how many enemies were around him.

Starscream had always be a mech who relied only on himself.

That was the reason why he couldn't understand why the slag he was driving at a lousy fifty miles per hour through that accursed and crowded Portland city-state. Cars sounding their horns and emanating their stinky gases, crowds talking nonsense and making the most annoying sound Starscream had ever heard, claustrophobia and suffocation peeking around every corner… Why the slag wasn't he running Carly's gratitude at two hundred miles per hour on some lonely highway?

Starscream didn't know. He was anxious for some reason, but he was immersing himself in that paranoid human world more and more. Why?

Night had already fallen when he found his answer. And he found it smoking on the same corner that had seen him defeated that one anonymous, rainy night he would never forget.

He reached his destination and hit the brakes, scaring Stella and the human that was with her, some little, ugly man that was extending his greasy hand towards her.

He would have killed him right there if she hadn't spoken first.

"Sean?" she said, a mixture of surprise and happiness in her voice. "What are you doing here?"

"Spare me the stupid questions," he said roughly and pointed at the back of his bike. "Get on."

"Hey!" the male human said, waving a filthy twenty dollar bill in his hand. "She's going with me, punk! See this?"

Starscream grimaced with disgust and grabbed the man by the collar of his jacket, brusquely throwing him backwards and making him fall against a metallic waste disposal unit.

"Frag off," he hissed, turning to face Stella. "Come. We're going to your dwelling."

She didn't look very pleased, not as she had looked the night she had shown him what human interfacing was. "Sean… what do you think you're doing? I'm working here!"

He pointed toward the fallen human. "You call that working? Stop talking nonsense and come with me! I don't have all the fraggin' night," he said, taking her hand and forcing her to get on the bike beside him.

She said something else but Starscream tested the decibels of the engine of the bike and refused to listen to any more of her pathetic rant. He was certain he didn't feel anything but hate for that human creature, but he was equally certain that he wanted to interface with her for the remainder of the night. It was more than desire, it was that urgency to have some relief of the madness that was corroding him.

He was a human now… _He was a fragging human now!_

Stella kept shouting whatever but she finally fell silent and tightened her embrace around his waist. Despite her protests, he knew she wanted him; she had wanted him since the first moment in which she had dragged him into her web. And he? He didn't care if she wanted him or not. He would frag her and give himself some self-control, otherwise his fleeting balance would break into pieces. Once again the voice inside of him made clear that it wasn't about the sex. He could interface any human on that planet, male or female, and it would be the same. He had to interface that one, that anonymous whore that had been the first human to touch him in that humid, sticky way.

That night he was determined to show her that she had no power over him because of that.

* * *

Starscream closed the door and released Stella's arm, directing his steps towards the bed at the back of the small room. Right under the window… perhaps that's why he liked that bed, because it was under a window, because he could see the sky.

"…the matter with you?" Suddenly he could hear Stella's voice again. "I told you I was working!"

He scowled as he started to strip. "And I heard you the first time."

"I needed that customer, Sean!"

"Did you have any other… customers tonight? If so, go to the wash room and clean yourself," he hissed, throwing his jacket and shirt aside.

"That was going to be the first one… but that's not the point! I need to pay my rent, do you understand that? I need to work if I don't want to end up giving blowjobs for food in an alley!"

Starscream took a deep breath, doing his best to avoid jumping on her and breaking her neck like a stick. Instead, he picked up his jacket from the floor and threw her a bunch of bills. "There. Five hundred dollars. Is that enough to pay your _rent_ or do you need more? I don't care. Just name the price and put your mouth to work doing what you do the best, which is definitely not talking." He emphasized his words by unzipping his pants.

He was sure that that would calm her annoying display of insolence. Money had that kind of magic with humans, he had noticed, not to mention that he had a big bulge for her. That's why his surprise was considerable when she cast him an angry, somewhat disappointed, look.

Stella walked towards the door and opened it.

"Leave."

Starscream smirked. "I think my ears are malfunctioning. Did you just tell me to leave?"

"Didn't you hear? Get the fuck out!" she cried, kicking the bills back to him. "And take your fucking money with you! I don't want it!"

Starscream walked slowly to the door and firmly closed it, grabbing her by one wrist as he did so. "You don't want the money? Fine. But you want me. Don't you dare deny it because I can slaggin' smell your desire right now!"

She struggled but she couldn't release herself from his grip. Starscream smirked, enjoying so much his power over her. He liked to dominate his interface partners, it had always been that way. So far, the only one that could have reversed the situation hadn't even tried to make the situation happen, the fool, brutish rust-bucket and his annoying games… Things would have to change once he returned to his real self.

Something slapped him back to reality, to his reality. And it had been real. Stella had just impacted his face with the palm of her hand.

He felt the arousal between his legs as clear as the flame burning his cheek. He should have been infuriated. In which Universe would a puny human dare to hit a Decepticon? But the only change he felt was the uncontrollable increase of his desire.

She pressed her face against his bare chest, her free hand scratching his back with nails so sharp that he was sure she had injured him. "I don't want this to be about money… not with you, Sean. That's all I ask of you."

He didn't reply, but gave her his version of acceptance by grabbing her by the thighs and raising her. She embraced him by the neck and complied with all his rabid kisses, tightening her legs around his waist. Objects fell around them as Starscream walked blindly toward wherever. He only wanted to get inside that human and pound her until he lost himself, until he forgot for a moment how miserable he was.

It was the coffee table that rose victorious as Starscream staggered into it, sending the ravenous pair crashing downwards in a flurry of lust. The old piece of furniture groaned in protest as Stella's back fell awkwardly onto its surface, winding her, as Starscream landed heavily on top, sending an assortment of items to the floor.

Pinned beneath him, Stella gasped for air as Starscream's lip continued to devour her, not pausing for a moment to see if his lover was alright.

"Fucking...asshole..." the female hissed as she once again raked her nails down his back. "Watch where...you're fucking...going..."

Starscream frowned as he dragged himself into a kneeling position, his hands hastily pulling her strapless top up over her head. Stella complied with the tacit demand and lifted her arms for him to remove the garment, however, he stopped once it reached her wrists and he left it there, twisting it around them before holding her with a forceful grip.

"Shut up, female," he spat as he free hand began exploring those delicious breasts that filled her black bra. "The only noise you will make is the sound of you sucking me...either that or begging me to stop. Understood?"

"Fuck you," Stella said angrily as Sean's lips lowered to her chest and began to suck at her soft skin. His hand slid down to her mini skirt, lifting it so it sat over her stomach.

"Oh, that is exactly what I plan to do, female. Fuck you."

The Decepticon's fingers grazed the soft, black fabric of her panties as the female struggled half-heartedly against him, her high heels clawing heatedly at his waist and back, drawing blood. Despite the desire in her eyes she was angry, and Starscream liked it.

Feeling more and more like himself with every agitated movement she made, Starscream climbed to his feet and loomed over her, one hand still pinning her wrists. Feeling his swelling penis screaming for release, he let go of his prey and lowered his underwear hastily, pressing one hand, and then the other, on Stella's abdomen to keep her down.

"What the fuck is wrong with you tonight?" Stella said, her eyes betraying her delight at seeing his hard member standing to attention.

"What did I say about making noise, whore?"

Stepping back, Starscream tugged at her panties roughly, pulling them down over her still-kicking legs. Once the unwanted barrier was removed, the Decepticon smirked at the sight of the human's overly-wet intimacy. Oh she wanted him, despite her little show of aggression...

Starscream reached out and pressed his hand against her, dragging his palm against her warmth and drawing a ragged gasp from her mouth. Denying her a second wave of pleasure, he let his hand drift up to her breasts and moved around to his lover's side, climbing over the table to straddle her waist.

"Well, now is your chance to redeem yourself, my dear. Suck me well and I may give you what you want."

"Asshole..."

Taking hold of her wrists again, Starscream grasped the back of Stella's head with his free hand and roughly pulled her towards him. She opened her mouth willingly, and received the full length of his manhood in one smooth movement.

The female's tongue began its task as her head bobbed back and forth, rolling over and around his girth as it slipped back and forth between her warm, sultry lips. Starscream smirked as he gazed down upon the erotic display, intense waves of pleasure rolling through his body.

He was in control again, he was a _god_... He tightened his grip on the female's head and forcefully pulled her forward.

_This_ was more like it.

A gurgle of protest escaped from the human slut's full mouth and she moved her lips slightly, exposing Starscream's penis to the rough edges of her teeth. The result was instantaneous, a wave of pain mixed with the pleasure, and the Decepticon gasped as his hand released Stella's head.

"What's the matter, don't like it when I play rough like you do?" Stella said sultrily once Starscream's penis had left her mouth. And then she leaned forward and kissed his tip, before biting down with a lust-filled look in her eyes.

"F-fuck! You stupid slut!"

"Mmm...I thought you might say that...What are you gonna do about it, sugar?"

Starscream frowned again, both aroused and displeased by the female's flirtatious bravado. _He_ was supposed to be in control, slaggit, _he_ was the almighty Decepticon Air Commander and Second in Command, a god above all creatures bar one.

Brushing away the unwanted intrusion of a certain slagger in his mind, Starscream climbed off the female and made his way to the end of the table again. Kneeling, he pressed his palms to her inner thighs and forced her legs apart again, drawing himself closer as he did so.

"_This_ is what I'm gonna do about it, female," he hissed nastily, and without preamble, entered her powerfully.

A gasp of pleasure escaped Stella's lips as she arched against the intrusion, her legs spreading further as Starscream began to thrust roughly into her.

"Ohhh shit..." she moaned as the table began to creak with the movement, a look of pained pleasure crossing her features.

"Does it hurt, slut?"

"Ughh...yes..." she groaned.

Starscream increased his speed and intensity, fingers clawing at her exposed thighs. "Good. Do you want me to stop?"

"Y-yes..."

The Decepticon smirked; whether she was telling the truth or simply playing along, he didn't care, he was in control again and that was all that mattered.

"Well then..." he hissed as he leaned forward to lick the small slither of exposed skin between her upturned skirt and her bra. "Why don't you _beg_ me to stop?"

Another groan escaped her as he continued to pound her, her body arching in what may or may not have been pleasure.

"Uuugghh...stop it..."

"What was that?"

"_Stop...it..."_

"But we're only getting started, my dear."

He increased his speed once again, grunting in pleasure.

"Please...I _beg_ of you...ugh...STOP..."

The magic words.

Starscream lifted his head from Stella's body and reared back in ecstasy, his mouth agape as a cry of primal origins escaped his lips. Intense waves of pleasure roared though him as he buried himself deeper within his lover, filling her with the warm fluids of his orgasm. The sensation was enough to drive Stella over the edge, and together they writhed in the sticky heat of climax. Beneath them, the table groaned again and finally gave way.

Still moving slowly within her, Starscream laid his head on her chest, the rapid pounding of her heart drumming in his ear as they basked in the afterglow, the pair panting heavily. Stella brought her tied hands up to Sean's face and caressed him softly before wrapping them around his head and kissing his forehead.

"Mmm...you really are talented, sugar..." she purred as he withdrew from her and began to kiss her neck.

"I know..."

Buried within the crook of Stella's neck, Starscream grinned triumphantly. So, she had enjoyed it after all... but that was an aside. He had extracted from her _exactly_ what he wanted, and in doing so, he had also gained an important revelation.

No matter what happened, he was still Starscream. Still powerful.

Still in control.

Still a god.

* * *

_To be continued._

_Additional note by Taipan Kiryu: I blame iratepirate for this chapter. My idea was to have Starscream and Megatron watering flowers in a strawberry field!_

_Additional note by iratepirate: Taipan Kiryu is a liar..._


	32. Two Buckets of Bait

**Chapter 31**

**Two Buckets of Bait**

Stella looked down at the young man sleeping peacefully on her bed, a thin ray of sunshine stealing through the crack in the curtains to cast warm highlights over his nude body. It was such a contrast to the night before, when everything had seemed so hurried and out of control. As a woman of the streets she should have been used to it, but something about her lover's actions just didn't sit well with her; he had seemed so angry...so _lost_.

She shook her head sadly and placed the plate of warm toast she had just made on the nightstand, sitting carefully on the edge of the mattress so as not to wake him. It was painful knowing that nothing would ever come of their relationship – things like love or loyalty could never form a part of her world – but that wouldn't stop her from making the most of it while it lasted.

The woman took a bite of her breakfast, the thin layer of strawberry jam doing little to abate the unpleasant sensation of otherwise dry toast scraping her raw throat. Still, a thin layer was better than nothing, which was what she would be having for the rest of the week thanks to Sean's intervention. Damn it, if only he'd come to her _after_ a few customers...

Chewing slowly, Stella watched on silently as Sean stirred slightly and rolled onto his back, hiding his delicious ass but revealing those amazing abs and even more amazing manhood. She sighed as he settled again, the faint sound of his breathing having and almost hypnotic effect on her. Stella allowed her gaze to roam freely over his form, no shame in her thoughts as she replayed the events of the night before over and over in her mind. Just where had this Adonis come from?

And why on Earth would he choose to return to her? _Really?_

Her eyes fell upon the young man's right shoulder, old white scars marring the otherwise perfectly tanned flesh. The half-eaten piece of toast in Stella's hand slipped from her fingers. That...that wasn't right...

She knew there had been something bothering her as he had had his way with her, other than his demeanour of course, but at the time she had been too busy to put a finger on it.

His _scars_...

He had been _stabbed_, just a few nights before...his wounds should have still been raw; red and scabbed over...

And... Her gaze slipped down to the right side of his torso.

Three more scars. They _definitely_ hadn't been there the last time she'd seen him.

Stella's fingers moved with a life of their own, reaching under his back to trail over the white lines that stretched around over his ribs and down towards his hip. Her invasive journey had nearly reached its end when suddenly her lover's piercing green eyes shot open and he sat up with a start, sending Stella sprawling backwards off the bed.

"What the frag!" the young man cried, looking around wildly, his arms raised defensively.

His eyes fell upon Stella. "Female! What the slag were you playing at?"

Stella felt her heart pounding ferociously against her ribs as Sean glared angrily down at her. Despite herself she couldn't help but back away slightly as he climbed onto his knees and leaned threateningly over her, his chest heaving in what was left of his shock.

"I..ah...I'm sorry, Sean, it's just that I –"

"Save it, you pathetic creature, I don't want to hear your excuses." He stood up and stepped over her, making his way to the place on the floor where his underwear had ended up the night before.

Dark eyes watched him cautiously as he pulled on the garment and started searching around for his other clothes. _Mmm...such a perfect ass..._ As Stella sat up and drew her knees underneath her, she contemplated the idea of remaining silent; obviously some of the darkness of the night before was still lingering within her young lover. But curiosity found the better of her – or was it yearning – and she found herself speaking before she could stop herself.

"Sean...?"

"What?" he spat as he turned his jeans the right way out, refusing to look back at her.

"Your shoulder...you...you were stabbed the other night..."

"Yes? And your point is?"

"Your scar...it looks so old...like...like it had happened years ago."

Sean visibly stiffened.

"And the scars on your side. They weren't there when I saw you last."

"You're obviously blind then."

"Honey, I pay attention to guys with bodies like yours. Those three scars were definitely _not_ there the other night. And even if they were, sugar, that shoulder of yours shouldn't look like that."

The young man turned around, slowly, a strange look of fear, almost, colouring his facial features. That look, however, quickly gave way to that increasingly familiar sneer of anger. "Well, it's none of your business what my shoulder looks like, so you'd do well in ceasing your pointless line of questioning."

"Gee, no need to get all pissy over it," Stella spat back as she pulled herself to her feet. "Sorry for being concerned about you, asshole."

"It's not your place to be concerned, female, so stick with what you're good at," Sean said as he pulled on his jeans and sat down on the couch.

"Anything for you, sugar," Stella replied as she crossed the room and knelt before him. "But seriously, Sean, you seem to get yourself into trouble all the time, and now that you've made an enemy of Kane... Well, I just hope you won't end up like all the other guys that have crossed him."

"If you're suggesting that I'll end up dead, then you're sorely mistaken."

Stella's fingers once again made their way to Sean's torso, tracing the white marks that somehow seemed to add to the deliciousness of that perfect body. "Be cocky all you want, sugar, but trust me, Kane _always_ wins in the end. I don't know where you came from, I don't know what you're after; but I know how it will end. I've been around long enough to know that much. Just promise me one thing, sugar. Give him hell while you can, fuck knows he deserves it. And if you ever need anything, _anything_, come to me first. Ok, sugar?"

Stella smiled as Sean glanced down at her through half-closed eyes. Obviously, he was enjoying the attentions she was paying him.

"It's not a matter of being cocky, female, it's the pure truth. That piece of shit Kane might have won a few battles in the past, but he's never come across someone like me before. He will die at my hands, have no doubt about that."

"I hope so, sugar, I hope so." Stella placed her hands between Sean's thighs and pushed them apart, placing herself between them with a smirk. It felt good to see him beginning to relax under her touch, and the fury of the night before seemed to ebb away as his familiar arrogance took over once again. "Now, do you want to tell me what got you so upset last night?"

"No."

The woman leaned forward as her fingers moved to explore Sean's chest, a playful tongue tracing the first of three scars on his side.

"Well, something obviously got you riled up last night sugar, you were very rude, you know?

Stella's tongue glided along the second scar.

"It's none of your business, female."

"Hmm, I think it is when you chase away a client and treat me the way you did. Not that I'm complaining, honey, although I would have preferred that you hadn't broken my coffee table..."

Her tongue traced over the third scar, stopping to kiss the mark where it disappeared beneath the fabric of his jeans.

"I just want you to know that I've been around these parts longer than you, honey, and if you do ever want to talk about something, or forget about something, you know where I am. I know I have certain talents, but I'm good for more than that too, if you ever need it. Ok, sugar?"

Sean grunted in response as he leaned his head back, his eyes closed. Stella's mouth continued its journey over his torso as her fingers began to slowly unzip his jeans again. She knew she had more to offer than just her sexual skills, but until he was willing to accept more from her she would happily give him what he wanted. If nothing else it would help him relax, and for some reason, it seemed that was something he needed.

His secrets could wait...for now.

* * *

It was always the same thing. High heels against high heels, scornful stares, hypocritical words that sometimes fell into obvious sarcasm… Stella could pinpoint the exact moment in which it had happened, the day after Alpha, the oldest of Kane's girls, passed away after spending an intense night with one demanding customer. That was what Stella and the others were told, but rumours said that Kane had just gotten tired of her.

But no matter what had happened, Stella had officially become Alpha's substitute and thus privileges started to turn into burdens. After six years of being the queen of the street, Stella began to see other girls, younger and considerably prettier than her, getting hold of her former status. Her corner was the first loss; other heels started to walk it. Then she lost the best customers; men always preferred younger chicks and she surrendered her right to be picky. When Stella started to exile the word 'no' for good, she understood that the good times had come to an end.

It all went downhill from there. Stella had to learn to have two meals a day instead of three, to make her dresses and her lipstick last a bit – and then a lot – longer, to renounce dignity for a two digit bill, but most importantly, to realize that hope would always be impossible. She would spend the rest of her life living by the day, pleasing men and women she hadn't chosen and that only saw her as a one-night object of pleasure, quickly used and even more quickly forgotten.

But she couldn't have been more oblivious of such matters as she climbed the last set of stairs to the fourth floor of the heavily guarded building. For the first time in the last ten years, scornful stares and murmuring didn't get to her, spellbound as she was by the touch of her lover. She could still feel Sean devouring her with his kisses, his hands taking possession of every inch of her skin, his delicious masculinity moving inside of her and pushing her to extremes of pleasure that not even she had ever grazed… He was the only man that had been with her more than twice, aside from Kane himself and high school boyfriends she had had in a time in which she still believed in fairy tales.

She smiled as she faced the juvenile faces of three new girls that were waiting outside the door. Young, promising flesh as they were, she was sure they had never had a guy like Sean in their beds and probably never would . But she had. Sean had gone to her and had stayed. Beautiful and arrogant as he was, he had chosen her. She was certain that he would be gone as unexpectedly as he had arrived, but she would make sure to make every one of their nights together a paradise to remember.

But her smile erased as soon as she caught sight of the man guarding the god damned door and what was behind it. She couldn't forget that her visit had a purpose.

"Well, hello Stel. We were expecting you yesterday, precious. A little late to pay your weekly fees," Pete greeted her. The bandage covering his nose gave her endless satisfaction, as she knew very well who had hurt that asshole.

"I want to talk to Kane," she said curtly. She didn't owe Pete, or anybody else, any explanations. Perhaps she was second hand pussy, but she still had some rights around there.

"Mm," the mustached man said, rubbing his chin. "So you want to talk to _Mister Kane? _I'm afraid he's a little busy right now… but you are so lucky, girl. He was asking for you this morning."

He opened the door with hypocritical courtesy. Stella entered only to be received by the unmistakable smell of the smoke of Kane's Cuban cigars. Even when he fucked her, he always had one of those smelly things in his mouth. At least they kept him from kissing her.

She found Kane at the back of the room, comfortably sat on the big, cozy couch she knew too well, his white suit partially wrinkled and Cree, the big breasted, twenty three year old prostitute with arrogant eyelashes, within Kane's big arms. Cree was the one who proudly possessed Stella's old scepter, although Stella was sure that the young whore was very far from reaching her sexual skills.

"Ah, Stel, what a pleasant surprise! I was about to send for you, actually. Please, serve yourself," Kane said, pointing toward a line of cocaine on the table.

Stella sat carefully on the smaller couch beside Kane and ignored the offer. The last thing she needed was to increase her debts.

"I'll get you the rest in a couple of days," she said, extracting a small sash of small denomination bills from her purse and placing them on the table, beside the cocaine.

Kane exhaled a mouthful of smoke and rested the hand holding his cigar on his knee. "Sure, sweetheart, you know I can't deny you anything … although I can't help but wonder why you failed in reaching your quota this week. It's true that your corner is visited less and less every day, but you always manage to get my money."

The insolent fucker… Stella bowed her head slightly. "I… had some issues this week."

"I'm sure you did," he said calmly. "Otherwise why would you reject a client who would have paid you what you still owe me and a little bit more, mmh?"

Stella bit her lower lip. Shit, he knew… of course he knew. Nothing happened in the streets without Kane finding out.

"But more than rejecting a client, what surprised me the most was to find out that you had a special customer last night… I wasn't aware you were friends with pretty boy Latta. Tell me, sweetheart, how much did he pay you? Because I'm assuming he paid you, right?"

Stella's heart started to beat faster as she forced herself to speak. "He didn't have money."

Kane smoked from his cigar once again before continuing speaking. "That's strange. Last time I saw the fucker, he had his pockets full with _my_ money."

Stella was perfectly aware that she was in a very dangerous zone. It had been a while since she had daydreamed, but returning to the habit that reminded her of happier days had also blinded her. She couldn't forget, not even for a moment, that Sean was somehow involved with Kane's gang.

"I wouldn't know anything about that," she said, trying to sound nonchalant.

Kane stood up and signaled her to do the same. When she complied, he softly grabbed her arm and guided her toward the window.

"Stel, sweetheart, I don't need to tell you that everything works down there because I make rules and people obey them. And as insignificant as it seems, you failing to reach your quota creates a fracture, especially considering the reason why you didn't reach said quota."

Stella swallowed, the gentle grip on her arm as comforting as a knife. "I understand", she muttered.

Kane slowly shook his head. "I have no problems with you having friends, you know that, but we are talking about something else here. You see, sweetheart, having Sean Latta close to you is definitely a very bad idea."

Stella groaned when Kane tightened the grip on her arm, but that was nothing compared to her cry when the bearded man decided her skin would be a proper place to try to extinguish his cigar.

"AAAAAH! Please don't!"

Kane smiled candidly at the squirming woman in his grip. "Stel, Stel, Stel… what am I going to do with you? I have been nothing but generous to you for almost seventeen years, and this is how you repay me?"

"I didn't know… aaah… I didn't…"

"I have some unfinished issues with that motherfucker, and don't you dare tell me that you didn't know because I hate it when my people think they can fool me. And you do know what I do when somebody tries to fool me, don't you?"

"Y-yes… please stop… it hurts… I can't take it anymore…" Stella pleaded, the pain in her arm unbearable.

"I expect twice your fee by the end of the week," Kane said calmly as if she hadn't spoken at all, continuing to burn Stella's forearm with the damn cigar. "And I expect you to stay away from that punk. Next time I may not be this generous. You are warned, my dear."

When he released her, Stella fell to her knees, the foolish giggling of Cree drilling her ears.

"You may leave now, sweetheart. As you can see, I was busy," Kane said, returning to the couch and sitting Cree on his lap.

Stella rubbed the tears down her cheeks and stood up laboriously, her arm still burning like hell. Pain was no stranger to her, neither humiliation, but the loss of the one part of her life that made her happy was not even to be considered.

She reached the door with one single thought in mind. She wouldn't give up Sean, no matter what Kane said or did, she wouldn't give up the man that had given her a reason to feel alive.

* * *

"I don't know how you stand her, honey, really… She would do better doing handjobs in an asylum," Cree said, laughing at her own joke.

Kane lifted up the pink top of the woman sitting on his legs. "She had better times, and she worked hard for me during those years."

Cree hugged him by the neck. "That's why I love you, honey, you have such a big heart…"

The young woman reached out to the line of cocaine resting on the table. Kane smirked lecherously. Cree was a delicious mixture of zero brains and big tits. Her behavior grazed both innocence and perversion so easily. It reminded him of a young Stella sometimes, without the attitude of course. Stella had never been able to stop mouthing off at him, no matter how hard he punished her. It was such a shame that years and vice had had their way with her and stepped on her beauty. Besides looking considerably older than her thirty six years, there was something abandoned in Stella's features. She looked tired, withered somehow. He really only kept her around because of her remarkable sexual skills. That's why he had been surprised, almost shocked, to see that light shining in her eyes again.

And there was no doubt that Latta was the one to blame. Kane didn't know why he was so fascinated by that punk; he just couldn't stop thinking about him. He had spent days looking for the young man's origins, only to find that he had popped out of nowhere. No traces of his past or his whereabouts. It was as if he had never existed and suddenly had appeared in one of the most dangerous areas of Portland. There was something very strange about him, something that Kane couldn't have named. It was like that anonymous, good looking prick was one of a kind, and a kind that Kane, a profound human connoisseur, was unable to classify.

He rubbed Cree's chin affectionately, an idea taking shape in his mind. "There's something I want you to do for me, Cree."

Cree just smiled, like the perfect bait she was.

_To be continued. _

_

* * *

_

_Ok people, two more new characters – a box of energon goodies for the first person to work out where the names came from. As always, a massive thank you to those of you who left us a review, your words are always appreciated!_

_Note by Taipan Kiryu: iratepirate will be overseas for a while, so we won't be updating very soon. Good news is that at the end of her trip she will come to Mexico to spend two weeks with me, so expect an update of at least one of our joint stories once that happens. Even though I plan to keep her intoxicated with tequila all the time, we will make some time to write an update physically together. After almost three years of chatting through cyberspace, we are really looking forward to doing it face to face!_


	33. Any given Sunday

_Do you hear the bells? Yes, we are back! Sorry for the delay in updating this story, but you know how much of a glitch real life can be sometimes. But nothing can keep us away from our beloved joint fics for long, so here we are back again._

_We want to thank from the bottom of our hearts all those people who have read and commented on this story, and also the ones who have kindly kicked our butts through private messages asking us to update. So here you go, people, we hope you will enjoy. Oh, by the way, kudos and Energon chips to 9aza and Alaskan Olive, who guessed that our character Cree came from Cree Summer, the voice of Blackarachnia in Transformers Animated. As you all know, the names of the original characters in this story have been taken from actors who had voiced or still voice Transformers ever since G1 to TF Prime._

_Okay, time for the kick off now. Shall we? Be warned that there will be an abundant use of the F word during the first scene of this chapter. It's all part of the characterization._

**Chapter 32**

**Any given Sunday**

It was an odd thing to see Stella smiling. Not that fake, 'maybe if I put on a brave face things will seem better' smile that she wore like some badge of shame every evening she stood on her corner, but a warm, genuinely happy smile. It hadn't been plastered on her face day-in, day-out, but every now and then, when she allowed the light to shine out from within, it would creep onto her features for a moment or two before slinking away into the empty facade again.

It had made for a nice change from her increasingly depressed state of late, but when Johanna had spotted Stella walking past her store in tears, and not stopping to talk, she realised it had been premature to think that things were looking up for her friend.

She would have liked to chase after her and find out what was wrong but she had been stuck with a customer at the time, and it had been difficult to escape. It had been a good hour at least before she'd been able to flip the sign in her door over to 'closed' and locked up, and another fifteen minutes in her high stiletto heels to walk over to Stella's apartment.

And now Johanna stood before a locked door, very obviously being ignored by her friend inside.

"Please, honey, open up. It's been ten minutes and I know you're in there. I _do_ still have my key, you know, and if you don't let me in right now, I'm gonna let myself in."

No response was forthcoming.

"Okay, hun, I'm coming in," Johanna called as she slipped the key into the lock and opened the door.

Stella's apartment was dimly lit, the tattered curtain over the window blocking out most of the afternoon sun. Johanna walked slowly through the living room towards the unmade bed, before spotting her friend's hunched form in the next room.

"Hun, what's wrong?"

A haze of tobacco smoke lingered in the small kitchen of Stella's apartment, the butts of a good dozen cigarettes extinguished in a plate beside a half emptied bottle of tequila. Her head buried in her arms as she sobbed into the tabletop, Stella did not reply.

"Come on, girl, you know you can't keep a secret from me. I know you went to see Kane today, what did the fucker say to you?"

Silence was once again Stella's reply.

"Stel, talk to me," Johanna said, her deep, rich voice reverberating despite the gentle tone. She didn't need the overly long eyelashes and dark mascara to make her eyes look wider when she pulled on Stella's arm and noticed the nasty burn. "Fuck, girl. Did Kane do this to you?"

"What do you think?" Came the bitter response as Stella pulled herself out of her friend's grip, not looking up.

"Girl, why do you have to bait him? He's messed you up enough times for you to know that he's a dangerous fucker when he's angry. Sometimes you just gotta take his bullshit in sil—"

"Fuck you!" Stella spat venomously, sitting up suddenly to glare at her friend. "For your information, I didn't fucking say anything."

"Then wha—"

"He fucking found out, okay?"

Silence fell upon the small kitchen for a moment, the meaning behind Stella's outburst slowly sinking in. The look of concern on Johanna's face dropped to take on a more fearful colour as she reached out to take her friend by the shoulders.

"He found out? About this guy you've been seeing...? Shit, Stel...how the fuck did he know?"

"I didn't have enough money to pay my fees, and Sean was the reason. One of his fucking cock-sucking lackeys must have seen me with him...shit, I don't fucking know. "

"Shit, girl..." Johanna breathed as she watched her companion reach for the bottle of tequila and take a swill. "You ok? I mean, he didn't force you again, did he?"

Stella let out a single, sarcastic laugh as she drank again from the bottle. "No, he had that new Cree bitch ready to sit on his cock when I walked in, he wasn't gonna waste his time fighting me."

"So what did he say?"

"In a nut shell," Stella said, placing a cigarette between her lips and lighting it up, "he's my boss and if I don't want him angry, stay the fuck away from Sean." She inhaled deeply, savouring the minor note of calm the nicotine brought her.

"But of course you're not gonna do that. Am I right?"

Another deep inhalation. "You bet you fucking are," Stella replied as she exhaled a cloud of smoke.

"That's my whore," Johanna said with a wink. "But seriously honey, you really need to be more careful. It's no secret that Kane is really pissed about Sean's presence around here, and if he catches you with him again, I don't think the fucker will simply let you off with a warning."

"Tell me something I don't fucking know."

Johanna smirked warmly as she reached over and stole a drag from Stella's dying cigarette. "That burn looks really nasty hun, how about you let me clean it up for you. And in the mean time, you can tell me something _I_ don't fucking know."

She stood up, and headed towards the bathroom.

"Such as?"

The tall, thin woman paused under the doorway, her long, dark wig swinging playfully as she looked over her shoulder to throw Stella a wink. "Like...how big is his cock?"

Johanna turned and disappeared out of view, but not so quickly as to miss the relatively rare display of Stella blushing behind her.

"You know a good girl doesn't kiss and tell," Stella said sarcastically as she lit up another smoke.

"That's the biggest crock of shit I've ever heard," Johanna retorted from the other room. "And honey, if you're a good girl then I'm a fucking saint. Spill it."

"Why? You want a bit of action? Sorry sugar, but this one is all mine."

Something clattered noisily in the bathroom. "Oh, shit. Jeeze, honey, you really need to clean this fucking bathroom, you know? And you know I'd never cut in on your man, honey. Not without getting your permission first. Then it's fucking open season, in all meaning of the phrase."

Stella smirked at that remark as she flicked the ash from her cigarette and took another drag, listening to the thud of the bathroom cabinet closing and the clipped sound of Johanna's red heels on the tiles as she returned to the kitchen.

"Hun," she said as her friend reappeared, "you know I share everything with you but, sorry, this one's a keeper. Plus, I'm not sure how well Sean would react to your secret friend there." She laughed, gesturing with her head to Johanna's least favourite appendage.

Johanna, first aid kit in hand, flipped her the bird, her long, red fingernail glinting dangerously in the wan light. "Fuck you, bitch. Just for that, I'm gonna take that tequila," she said defiantly, snatching the bottle from Stella's lips and putting it to her own. "Thank you."

Violent cherry-red lipstick stained the lip of the proffered bottle, trumping the ever-so-slightly less violent pink with ease. Not that Stella cared as she finished her interrupted swig.

"Now," Johanna said, taking Stella's arm and beginning to clean the burn with a damp cloth, "you didn't answer my question. How big?"

Stella let out a small laugh, before wincing with a grunt. "Ow...shit... You're not gonna give up until I tell you, are you?"

"Nope."

"Fine. I'll tell you, but only to get you to shut the fuck up, okay?"

"I don't care what your reasons are, honey. Just give me the details."

"He's big. Like...this big," she said, holding up her index fingers and illustrating her statement.

Johanna paused suddenly in her work, paying no mind to the excessive amount of white antiseptic cream she was squeezing absently from the tube in her hand. It wormed out with a mind of its own, falling in a large dollop on the kitchen table.

"Jesus, honey, no wonder you've been smiling." Johanna sat in stunned silence for a moment. "Oh, shit!" she then exclaimed as she noticed the mess she was making with the cream.

"And not just that," Stella said with a playful smirk, "it's gorgeous. You remember that guy we hooked up with all those years ago, you know, the one whose bed I puked in the next morning?"

"Oh yes," Johanna laughed, "Mr Tasty. Mmm, what about him?"

"Sean's even tastier. No fucking joke," Stella added as she noted her friend's slight look of disbelief.

"Praise the fucking Lord...it's a fucking miracle!"

"But that's not what makes him special," Stella said, that genuine smile reappearing again briefly. "He knows how to use it too. I've been with so many fucking guys in my lifetime but none of them, not a single one of them, has made me feel the way he does."

Johanna placed a swab of gauze over Stella's wound and began to secure it with a bandage. "Go on..." she encouraged in her deep, 'you're-not-telling-me-_everything_' tone of voice.

"He makes me scream, hun. _Really_ scream. Like, I was a fucking _virgin_ before him, ya know?"

"And so you're keeping him all to yourself. You selfish whore," Johanna said as she placed a final piece of tape over the loose end of bandage on Stella's arm and began to pack things away.

"Well, I'm not stupid enough to think I'm the only one he's seeing, but...while he's on my turf, I'm claiming him as my own."

"I guess that's fair enough," Johanna sighed. "Perhaps he has another hot friend with a big, satisfying cock?"

"Who knows...aside from his name, and what I just told you, I actually don't know anything about him."

Johanna played thoughtfully with a lock of her hair as she watched Stella light up another cigarette and offered it to her. She took it in her free hand and inhaled deeply, adding to the haze Stella was once again preparing to fuel. "So you haven't asked him anything about himself?"

"Well, I've kinda been busy when he's come 'round, you know? And anyway, he's not much of a talker. Every time I've asked about him, he's shut me down."

"Hmmm...sounds like he's hiding something, girl. Have ya thought about asking around? You know, see if any of the other girls know anything about him?"

Stella scoffed at the suggestion. "None of those bitches will talk to me anymore, you know that. They don't even think of me as competition anymore, and just walk all fucking over me. Even if they did know something, they wouldn't tell me shit."

"True...well, what if I ask around for you? You know I've got some good contacts through the store, who knows, maybe someone will know something."

"That would be great, sweetie, but please, be discreet. I don't want Kane to find a reason to come after you too."

Johanna let out a hearty laugh, exhaling a lungful of smoke as she did so. "Girl, you know I don't do discreet. But for you, I'll try my best."

Stella smiled and took another drink from the near-empty bottle of tequila. "Thanks, hun. I owe you one. Shit. I'm gonna have one hell of a fucking hangover tomorrow."

* * *

Starscream stared at the prolate spheroid object with a raised eyebrow and an expression of disbelief on his face. At first sight, it seemed to be made of some kind of leather, a suspicion that almost succeeded in making him retch. Just what kind of animal had the humans turned into a ball?

"Okay Sean, this is the deal," Cliffjumper told him. "You'll be the quarterback and I'll be your wide receiver. Leave it to Sideswipe to take care of your back."

"We'll sweep the dust with their rusted afts!" Sideswipe said, pointing a challenging finger towards Spike, Bumblebee and Sunstreaker. "Go Reds!"

Starscream shot a disdainful, but discreet, look at the 'yellow' team before handing the ball back to Cliffjumper.

"I'm not really a sports person." That was actually the first time he had spoken the truth since his arrival at the Ark. Back on Cybertron, he had never been dragged into foolish diversions such as Basketrek or speed races, ironic considering he was the fastest Seeker that ever crossed Cybertronian skies.

"Oh, come on Sean, it will be fun!" Sideswipe said. Starscream doubted that the accursed Autobot would be so enthusiastic if he knew who he was really talking to. Starscream was hated by practically every Autobot alive, but that one in particular, along with his twin, were in the top ten list of mechs who wanted to shred him to pieces.

"Didn't you play football in high school? Or in college, perhaps?" Spike asked him.

Starscream repressed the urge to shoot the human worm his best look of superiority.

"I didn't attend college," he said flatly. Now that had been a good answer, one which would prevent him from getting into trouble by lying about whatever human education he might have had. It was such a shame that silencing that annoying human with credentials such as attending the Cybertronian Science Academy and the Iacon Military Academy was not an option.

"Oh," Spike said, visibly uncomfortable, as if he had made a mistake and was just realizing it. "I didn't go either… I mean not yet. I like to keep my options open, you know?" With that, the human insect cast a discreet glance at his girlfriend. Carly returned him a look of slight disappointment.

Starscream smirked. Those humans and their pathetic conflicts… If he didn't hate being enclosed in his prison of bones and flesh so much, he would have dared to say that constant coexistence with humans was proving to be an interesting experience, _educational _even.

"Options open, yes," he said, managing to control his laughter. "That's something I can definitely understand."

"Still, you have to do something for a living," Carly counterattacked. "You said you lived alone, so you must have worked in something."

Starscream's smirk disappeared as fast as it had appeared. The blasted female… Starscream hated to be asked about his personal life. Even if he was currently faking it, his privacy was nobody else's business.

"I'm good at repairing things," he said, trying to sound nonchalant and convinced that the female's mouth would serve better wrapped around his pleasure port than prying into his life. "So I get jobs here and there. Nothing stable, but it helps me to, um, survive."

Starscream switched the weight of his body from one leg to the other as he tried to remind himself that there was no reason to feel nervous. His answer had been logical. He had researched the basics about human functions and he knew that many of them worked on their own. Besides, he hadn't lied. In Kaon before the war, he had been forced to employ himself in all kinds of non-official – and non-ethical – activities.

"Well, you must get lots of those jobs, then," Bumblebee said happily, finishing Starscream's tension. "Wheeljack says that you have a natural gift with technology."

Starscream smiled with innocence, a pose he knew very well. "He didn't lie. I have a way with… machines."

Unfortunately, the slagging female was not satisfied. "Yeah, but haven't you thought—?"

"You know," he said, looking at Cliffjumper, "I think we should play this football game after all. Who knows? It may be entertaining."

"That's the spirit!" Sideswipe said, rubbing his hands in anticipation of victory. "Losers kick off."

Already taking position on the improvised field outside the Ark, Sunstreaker made a vulgar gesture to his twin. "Which means _you _kick off, 'Sides. You lost last time, remember?"

Sideswipe grunted as he walked to one of the extremes of the football field. "Only because you said I hit you beneath the knee joints! And Carly believed your act and threw that slaggin' penalty flag…"

From her place at the top of a boulder beside the field, Carly grinned. "I only marked what I saw."

Sideswipe kept murmuring something about his brother being a femme bot, but assumed his position with very good mood. Cliffjumper joined him and Starscream hurried to do the same, noticing that the other 'team' was also briefing before the game started.

"OK Sean," Sideswipe said, not looking at Starscream but at the yellow rivals, "just gimme the ball and I'll take care of everything. Cliff, just keep Bumblebee distracted and leave Sunny to me."

Starscream wasn't convinced, surprised by the simplicity of the game. But then again, it was a human diversion, after all. "Give you the ball? Is that all?"

"That's all we need. We'll win this game by running the ball, nice and strong."

The game was getting stupider even before getting started, not a good omen for Starscream's already unbearable boredom. Still, he mimicked the position Spike had taken in the other team with the best masquerade of a smile he could provide.

A dry sound and next thing he saw was the ball flying from side to side of the field, right to the hands of Sunstreaker, who started to run into his direction.

_Now what the slag am I supposed to do? _His question received a reply when Sideswipe jumped over his head and crashed against his twin in a mixture of sparks and Cybertronian curses.

"Fumble!" Cliffjumper cried as he launched toward the small ball that somehow came out of the cloud of dust and servos that Sunstreaker and Sideswipe had become.

"Ah, blast!" Bumblebee complained when he couldn't get there on time and the possession was returned to the red team.

"Nice way to start the game, Sunny," Spike mocked.

"Hey, it's not my fault that the ball is so tiny!" Sunstreaker growled whilst he aligned in front of the human and Starscream positioned himself behind Sideswipe.

Cliffjumper assumed a funny position, one that made Starscream confirm that he was definitely not keen on Autobot aft. He was still thinking about the lack of good looks within the Autobot army when Cliffjumper tossed him the ball. He hesitated before remembering what Sideswipe had said about throwing the ball to him. Sideswipe caught it and started running forwards. If that football thing was so simple, then Starscream wouldn't even have to get dirty. The Autobots could slag each other to pieces for all he cared.

The play finished when Sunstreaker and Bumblebee jumped on Sideswipe and tried to embed him into the ground. Starscream found the sound of metal clashing against metal very satisfying. He wondered when he would be able to inflict that kind of pain again. Being a Seeker, he preferred to shoot an enemy from the skies, but in that moment he really was looking forward to denting some steel.

"First and ten," Sideswipe said, shaking the dust off his frame. "Now we'll fool them a little. Give me the ball, Sean, I give it back to you, and you throw it to Cliffjumper. Ready to fly, Cliff?"

"You bet," the other pompous Autobot stated as he hit his chest plates.

Starscream shrugged his shoulders and returned to his position behind Cliffjumper. When he received the ball he tossed it to Sideswipe, who immediately returned it to him. Throwing it towards the red Autobot scraplet was going to be an easy thing. Aim had never been Starscream's problem.

But he had barely turned around when something embraced his waist and took him down. All he saw a brown mess of hair fiber falling against his chin before hitting the ground with a loud thud.

"Well done, Spike! You totally buried him!" Sunstreaker cheered.

"Get off me," he scowled at the human still straddling him.

Spike grinned and stood up, offering him his hand.

"Next time I'll make you fumble." The happiness on the human's face turned into concern when he noticed the thin stream of blood coming from Starscream's lower lip. "Oh… did I hurt you? I'm really sorry…"

Starscream wiped the blood from his chin with the back of his hand. "Neither in this Universe nor in any other could _you _actually hurt me," he grumbled as he stood up.

"Play nice, boys," Carly voiced.

Bumblebee approached them with that disgusting expression of sympathy all over his face. "Are you okay, little buddy?"

"Why don't you give him a skirt, 'Bee?" Sunstreaker complained. "Everything's cool, right Sean?"

"Indeed it is," Starscream said, returning to formation as if nothing had happened.

Outside, that is, because on the inside Starscream was burning. Aside from the obvious exception of pleasure purposes, he _hated _being touched, especially by a low form of life such as that Spike worm. If rough play what was he wanted, rough play was what he would get.

He barely listened to the instructions Sideswipe gave. All he knew was that he would personally take care of the next play.

When the ball arrived to his hands a trigger was activated. Completely deaf to Sideswipe and Cliffjumper's cries, he ran forwards with all the speed he could give to his human servos. He saw Sideswipe jumping over him to block Sunstreaker, but he couldn't have cared less, as he had one single target in sight.

Fortunately for his urgency to get even, Spike ran directly towards him with the intention of tackling him.

_Big mistake._

Speed turned into fury when the human boy was within his reach. Starscream's muscles tensed and erupted into his rival, giving the humanized Seeker some much needed satisfaction.

As he impacted the boy's chest with his shoulder, Starscream could hear the pleasant sound of bones crushing. He wasn't particularly sadistic but, slag, how much he enjoyed the moment.

He smirked and simply walked towards the line on the ground, crossing it triumphantly. "Um, touchdown?" he said smirking as he turned around and saw Bumblebee kneeling beside Spike, the boy cringing and holding his ribcage.

"Are you okay?" the yellow runt was asking, a very concerned look on his face.

"Oh, for slaggin' Primus' sake, another candidate for wearing a skirt, Bee?"

"This is not funny, Sunstreaker. He's really hurt."

"I… I'm okay…" the boy said, trying uselessly to get up on his own.

"No, you're not," Carly said with a worried tone as she jogged to her boyfriend's side. "That was an illegal tackle, Sean, and it just signalled the end of the game." She pried Spike's hand away from his chest and gently touched his heaving side. "Bee, can you comm Ratchet for me, I think he may have a couple of broken ribs."

"Ughh… Carly, stop fussing, I'm fine," Spike protested with embarrassment; still, he complied with her following command to lie down anyway.

Starscream watched the pathetic display with disgust; if the human male's show of weakness wasn't revolting enough, the sight of Bumblebee hovering around like a worried femme pushed him to the point of wanting to purge.

"It wasn't an illegal tackle."

He couldn't help but jump when a voice whispered to him from the side. He looked up to see the insufferable yellow Autobot Sunstreaker sidling up next to him.

"Actually, it was quite impressive. Nice to see someone acting like a mech on the field."

Starscream cringed internally, finding what was supposed to be a complement a painful reminder of his horrible circumstances instead; he may still have been male, but he could no longer be considered a mech.

"Ahh, thanks," he muttered as he realised the Autobot was looking at him expectantly. "I...don't know much about that game, so I wouldn't know what's illegal or not. Just figured I'd hit him like he hit me; I guess I don't know my own strength."

"I wouldn't worry about it, Spike will be fine. Anyway, I should get going, I was supposed to be on surveillance duty a breem ago, whoops," he said with a smirk, before transforming his alt mode and driving off. "See ya."

Alone at last, Starscream watched in silence as Carly and the recently-arrived Ratchet guided Spike slowly back into the Ark. For a moment he considered following them, but only for a moment. A cool breeze picked up across the dry landscape and caressed his skin like an open invitation to take flight. A terrible sense of longing filled him, and he suddenly found himself walking in the opposite direction, lost within the sudden and unexpected torrent of miserable thoughts.

It wasn't until a dark shadow passed swiftly over his form that he realised he was no longer alone. He looked up to see the dreadfully familiar form of Laserbeak hovering silently overhead.

_Great._

"What the fuck do you want?" he called, not bothering to hide the malice in his tone.

The metallic condor screeched in response.

"Tell your freak of a master that I'm not in the mood for his shit, so you can just get lost."

Laserbeak screeched again, and swooped without any further warning, snatching him up by the arms before he could react.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Starscream shouted hotly, squirming wildly within the cassette's unmovable grip. "Put me down this instant, you freak!"

Laserbeak remained silent as he stubbornly ignored Starscream's abuse and began flying over the desert, his talons griped just tight enough to cause pain.

_To be continued._

* * *

_We hope you are more or less familiarized with football. But it you are not, there's no problem. We wrote this chapter thinking that not everybody knows how NFL football is played. We, for example, are Australian and Mexican, respectively, so our concept of football is very different. But still, considering that this story happens in the United States, we tried to use a sport which is very popular there and that the Autobots might play. There was actually an episode in which Spike was teaching Optimus Prime how to play basketball. _

_Anyway, we hope you enjoyed this chapter. Apologies once again for the delay in updating, but the good news is that we have the next chapter almost ready, so you can count on a fast update._

_See you then and many thanks for your reviews :o)_


	34. Home is not where the spark is

_We bumped into a gust of inspiration for this story and here you have, a fast update. We hope you enjoy!_

**Chapter 33**

**Home is **_**not **_**where the spark is**

"Welcome home, Starscream. I trust that you had a pleasant flight."

Starscream got on his hands and knees, still too shaken because of the rough trip to try to get on his feet. "Very… I wasn't expecting less from you, oh mighty Megatron… although next time I would really appreciate it if you notify me about your intentions of sending Laserbeak to retrieve me."

Megatron smirked. "Ah, but then where would the surprise element be? I thought you would find your return to the Nemesis pleasant, to say the least."

"And I do, leader, I really do…" Starscream said with unusual honesty. Being inside the purple walls of the Nemesis again brought him the familiar sensation of being home again, as disgustingly sentimental as it was. "Even though I suspect that my return here is only temporary."

Megatron nodded and rested his back on his throne. "Your suspicions are correct. You are here to report personally on your achievements during your infiltration mission. Once you are done, you will be sent back to the Ark."

Starscream stood up, his legs still shaking a little, but he wasn't going to continue that conversation from the floor. As battered as his dignity was, he would always have enough of it left to stand on his two feet. "I planted your spying device on Optimus Prime's computer. What else do you want me to report? I'm doing everything I can to gain the Autobots' trust, but these things take time."

Megatron narrowed his optics. "I would say so, considering that you have been trying to achieve such a thing with me for more than fifty thousand vorns and have failed miserably."

Starscream mirrored Megatron's expression and confronted him with his fists clenched and eager to pound metal. He had been beaten a zillion times for that same attitude, but Megatron should have been perfectly aware of how difficult – if not impossible – it was to wipe out his fire. This time wouldn't be the exception, even if Megatron could crush him like a bug, literally.

But Megatron burst into laughter, ending a tense moment that could have gone in either direction. "So, after all, there you are, Starscream, inside that bag of flesh. I was beginning to suspect I might have lost you."

Starscream frowned. "What do you mean?"

Megatron reached out and grasped him by the shoulder of his jacket, throwing him against a metallic panel. Starscream growled in protest but instead of throwing daggers at Megatron, he stared at his own reflection in the panel. It was not as polished as a real mirror, but the image was clear enough. There he was, in all his organic glory; the same face, the same brown fiber covering his head, the small scar on his brow…

"I'm afraid I'm not following you, Megatron."

Megatron sat on his throne again. "Are you not? You have merged with your organic side so much that you can't even notice it anymore? Take a better look, you fool!"

Starscream did so, finding the same thing as before: himself. Then reality struck him hard. That wasn't the face of a stranger anymore; it was his own.

"When you were turned into a human you were nothing but a worthless flesh creature that looked unable to house the life signal of a Cybertronian. Pathetic and bizarre as you were, you were still one of us. But now, you don't look any different from all those insects that populate this planet. Your eyes are empty, Starscream, you have lost the scent of a Transformer. Have you crossed the line, worm? Are you a _human _now, more than a Cybertronian?"

"Fuck never!" Starscream cried, turning to face his leader with all the fury he could achieve. "Is this your new sick way to try and disturb me, Megatron? Another one of your fucking twisted games? Well, know this, _mighty leader_, I won't fall for your tricks this time, I fucking won't!"

Megatron didn't seem offended by the disrespectful rant. On the contrary, his smirk grew. "At least you still love proving me right. What was that, Starscream? A colorful manifestation of your humanity? You were always temperamental, but this…"

Starscream closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the burning heat punching his skull. Dread spread through his insides at terminal velocity, bringing him the ultimate fear he had struggled to keep repressed ever since the steel of his body had turned into a fragile cover of flesh. "I… I am Cybertronian; not like you, Megatron, but better. _This," _he said, opening his eyes and staring at his hands, "is nothing but a temporary aberration. I have overcome worse curses and will certainly overcome this. Or what? Haven't I put up with _you_, the ultimate curse, for those fifty thousand vorns you mention?"

"And you haven't lost your pathetic sense of humour, I see. As I said, there you are, buffoon, at least until you forget it again and assume that that putrid skin that covers you is the real you. Do you feel comfortable with yourself, Starscream? Is that why you look so much like one of them now? Is that why you _smell _like one of them?"

Starscream had the feeling that Megatron wasn't talking precisely about his body lotion. "I would like to see you in my place, Megatron! What kind of human would you be, if you managed to survive one single fuc- slagging day? I'm blending in! That's what I'm doing, and nothing more. Don't you dare suggest something else because it's not true! I can't fool our enemies if I don't look like one of the fleshlings, can I?"

Megatron put his hand on his chin, his hateful gesture of superiority spread across his face. "I would never be in your place, Starscream, because I would have never been as foolish as to think of humans as some mysterious alien water challenged my appearance."

_So you say, you oversized, pit-spawned fucker! _"A mysterious alien water that I trust you are working hard to recreate."

Megatron's face got serious again before sending an internal command that turned the screen of the computer on. "First things first, Starscream. I have to say that I was surprised when you succeeded in planting the spy device in Optimus Prime's computer. I was certain that you would fail, but it is also certain that Prime's security measures concerning his own quarters are minimal. The fool has never cared enough about his own safety."

That was very close to the truth, but still it deeply angered Starscream. "And I have to say that I was missing the unique way you have of congratulatign me… or would underestimating all my achievements be a better choice of words? But for your information, _leader, _let me tell you that it wasn't easy. I had to sneak through the ventilation system and I was very close to falling to a certain death several times."

"Sneaking is something you do well, Starscream, although crawling would be a better term, if you insist on looking for a better choice of words."

"Thank you," Starscream growled with all the venom he could inject into his human voice.

Megatron smirked. "Congratulations are in order. Thanks to your little stunt, I have acquired interesting information about the Autobots' movements, but I need access to Teletraan I before taking action. Being such a cunning spy as you are, you shouldn't have problems in providing it to me. Now tell me, what progress have you made concerning gaining the Autobots' trust?"

"A fair amount. It's too soon to say they trust me already but they treat me as one of their human pets."

Megatron sneered. "Do you already wear a leash with the Autobot emblem? How touching."

_Just wait and see who ends up with a leash, you fucking junk bucket… _Starscream stopped that train of thought, finding the image of Megatron with a leash bizarrely arousing. He reminded himself that he had a treacherous piece of flesh hanging between his legs that would expose any kind of emotion on the matter, so he decided to return to his priority. "I'm fulfilling my part of the deal, Megatron. What about you? I demand to see your advances in recreating the water of the Well of Transformation!"

His words made a strange echo, and for a moment he thought he might have gone too far yelling at Megatron when he had no possibilities of surviving the mildest attack from his leader, but much to his surprise – and somewhat frustration – Megatron only stared at him with that infinitely hateful expression of condescendence that Starscream loathed so much.

"But of course. You earned, didn't you? And you will continue doing so, my pet, following strictly my orders."

An energon chain unravelled from above, the collar affixed to the end dangling lankly. "Walk with me, pet, I have something to show you."

Starscream regarded the leash hanging before him with a look of absolute disgust, hatred and humiliation bubbling to new levels. "What the _fuck?_" He spat, not at all enjoying the sense of foreboding flowing freely through his bloodstream.

"You heard what I said, human. If you want your reward you will receive it, by following my orders. And that involves you walking with me, wearing the bindings that a beast like you deserves. I will not allow a flesh creature to have freedom in my presence. Now, will you walk with me, or would you prefer not knowing about the progress of our little research project? Or was I right about that leash with the Autobot emblem?"

"You are a sick fragger, you know that, my _Lord_?" Starscream hissed, turning away from his Supreme Commander as his hands clenched at his sides. "Do you think I enjoy the humiliation this disgusting external covering brings? Do you really think I will allow my degradation to continue for the sake of your own personal enjoyment? You are wrong, Megatron. My loyalties to the Decepticon cause have never been stronger. The _cause_, my Lord, not you. If following your orders will lead to success of the cause, then I will always comply. But – and I'm sorry to disappoint you, master – my loyalties to myself are far greater than my loyalties to _you_. I will _not_ wear that leash, and you _will_ give me the information regarding the Well of Transformation that I rightfully deserve."

A look of unequivocal rage flashed across the tyrant's features, his mouth twisting into a hateful snarl. For a moment Starscream was certain his leader would step on him like the fleshy insect he was, but he was unpleasantly surprised when suddenly Megatron reached down and took hold of his shirt collar, lifting him clear of the ground.

For the first time since his transformation, Starscream was able to look directly into his leader's burning, crimson optics. It wasn't a welcome sight.

"You _dare_..." Megatron said in a voice laced with deadly intent, emphasising his statement with a violent shake of his hand. The jolt caused a wave of pain through Starscream's spine and increased his new-found fear tenfold. "I should kill you for such treasonous words!"

"Treason?" Starscream shrieked before his terrified mind could silence his suicidal words. "I just confessed my loyalty to the cause! How can that be classed—"

Another violent shake succeeded where his mind couldn't, putting an end to any other words of self defence and challenging the strength of his shirt at the same time.

"Do NOT tempt me, Starscream!" Megatron shouted viciously, continuing to shake the human like a helpless ragdoll. "You know I have killed valuable soldiers for less than this!"

Finally, the fabric of his shirt reached its limit, tearing clear from Starscream's body and sending him hurtling towards the floor at a horrifying rate. A humiliating cry of terror escaped him before the impact, and the last thing he heard before darkness took him was the laughter of his Lord and Master, and something about pity.

* * *

Starscream woke to intense pain and the strange sensation of feeling the ground moving beneath him, and it took him a few confused moments to realise that he was being dragged by something tied around his neck. The familiar feeling of dread filled him as he opened his eyes to see the purple glow of an energon chain hovering over his face, the equally purple ceiling rolling above him sickeningly.

With more effort than it should have taken he glanced backwards, finding the looming structure of Megatron on the other end of his accursed leash. Rage and humiliation returned in equal measure as the cold metal floor continued to bite angrily at his sweaty, exposed flesh, rubbing it raw.

"F...fuck..." he spat as he began to struggle against both the leash and the forward momentum, earning a backwards glance from his leader. "You fucking sick fuck!"

"Ahh, so the sleeping princess has awoken," the tyrant mocked, continuing his journey down the long corridor. "And just in time, too, for I have a little surprise for you."

The familiar sound of doors hissing open made itself heard as Megatron spoke, pulling his captor into what he quickly recognised as being the main laboratory in the Nemesis base.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Starscream shouted angrily, remembering his last visit to said lab. He was in no hurry to find himself in Soundwave's less than tender clutches anytime soon. He continued to strain against the leash.

"What am I talking about?" Megatron replied as someone approached from beyond Starscream's field of view. "Your reward, of course. Didn't you hear me as you were falling, you insolent worm? I said I was going to take pity on you, just this once. You looked so pathetic, and it was either that or I crush you – which I'm still tempted to do. Now, get on your feet."

It wasn't the fact that it had been a gruff command that caused Starscream to scramble into a standing position when his body was screaming for a lie down, but the promise of a reward. He knew there was only one reward that particular laboratory could offer him, and there was no way he was willing to risk having it revoked by not playing Megatron's games.

The tyrant had been true to his promise – he had initiated research into reversing his condition.

Starscream smirked; the meaning of his Master's dedication wasn't lost on the ex-Seeker.

"Soundwave, report on the progress you and the Constructicons have made on recreating the water from the Well of Transformation," Megatron said as he made his way across the lab and sat nonchalantly on a chair at the back of the room.

The human stood quickly at the mention of his nemesis' name, instantly taking a defensive position despite the fact that there was little he could do if Soundwave – or Megatron, for that matter – decided to torture him. But his precautions were unnecessary, as the giant, navy blue monster stepped right over him and proceeded to type away on a keyboard attached to the laboratory's main computer.

Several screens worth of data began scrolling before his optics as Starscream climbed up onto the console beside the now-Second in Command.

"Analysis of water sample: ongoing," Soundwave droned without even addressing him; for some reason Starscream found his lack of acknowledgement somewhat offensive. "Components successfully identified: 86.25 percent."

"86.25 percent?" Starscream questioned, taking in the data with a mixture of fear and relief. "That's barely more than I had discovered on my own!"

"Negative," Soundwave responded, bringing up more charts and diagrams. "Components discovered prior intervention: not unique to water's composition. Unique components now identified: two. Progress: significant."

"Slag, it is."

"Be careful, Starscream," Megatron said from his place at the back of the room. "Unappreciated work is easily aborted. Now, I have given you your reward, so it's time for you to earn your next one."

Anger began to boil inside his flesh body again. "What?"

"You do want regular reports on the progress of this research, don't you?"

"Yes…"

"Well, then you must earn them. Soundwave, give the worm his orders."

Starscream clenched his fists; it seemed that no matter what he did or how desperate he got, his predicament, his _humiliation_, would always be just another of Megatron's blasted games.

* * *

Starscream walked through what it seemed to be an endless corridor as he cast a jealous glance at his own shadow. If at least he could be as tall as it was, if at least the Well of Transformation had allowed him to keep his height in exchange of his dignity…

He shivered, the bare skin of his torso reminding him how cold the Decepticon battleship and base could be. He cursed Megatron again for tearing off his shirt. Of course, it meant nothing for the brutish slaghole, but Starscream didn't know what he was supposed to say if any Autobot saw him arrive at the Ark half dressed. At least his jacket had survived Megatron's tenderness.

He touched the small chip in the pocket of his jeans that contained Megatron's orders. He wished so much to step on it and tell Megatron just where he could shove his commands, but it was impossible, just as everything he used to be and do were impossible too. He was a prisoner within his own walls. None of his actions were dictated by him anymore. He was a puppet at Megatron's mercy, his freedom a shadow blurrier than his black silhouette on the Nemesis' walls. He clenched his fists in frustration when he realized that the only place in which he was in control was within the legs of an ugly human whore. That was his freedom, that disgusting and yet addictive port of pleasure that attracted him like magnet.

He barely realized he had arrived at his destination. Many ideas were prowling his mind, images, feelings… he was getting used to many things concerning humanity but his organic brain was still a beast he had to tame. He had the feeling that if he didn't, it would engulf him and destroy every trace of himself, of his real self.

"Hey, Screamer's here!" Skywarp happily said, waving his hand at him from the table at the bottom of the Seeker's Refueling Room, the one his trine always claimed because it was the closest to the Energon dispenser.

It wasn't without nostalgia that Starscream cast a look at the place in which he had refueled so many times. A strange feeling in his throat made him realize how much he would love to be there under other circumstances. That room, as well as the entire Nemesis, was his home.

"Megatron said you two would be here," he said with hoarse voice. "You are to take me back to the Ark."

Skywarp grimaced. "Yeah, hello to you too, Screamer. Is that the way you greet us, your always loyal wingmates? Besides, how long have you been in the Nemesis, like an hour or something, and you already want to go back with the Autobots?"

Starscream didn't reply. He didn't want to leave, but in a way he couldn't stay there either, it was too painful. He internally cursed his organic brain again, unconsciously using only human insults.

"We were refueling," Thundercracker told him seriously. "Do you want to join us?"

Starscream frowned. "Do I look like I can ingest Energon, Thundercracker?"

"You could," Skywarp said casually, "if I squeeze it down your throat. Wanna see me try?"

"Leave him alone, 'Warp," Thundercracker said, his always serious gaze fixated on Starscream.

"I was just joking, TC. You knew that too, right Screamer? I would never hurt you, not fatally at least, unless you provoke me, and then I— Hey, you look like slag. What's wrong?"

Great. And now he was receiving his wingmates' pity… he hated all the muscles in his human face, as betraying as his cock was concerning exposing his emotions. He was depressed and he hated it, but that was his business and no one else's.

"Nothing," he replied ill-humoredly. "Just hurry up and get me the slag out of here."

Skywarp grinned and stood up. "Whatever you say, sweetspark," he said, reaching out and seizing Starscream by the collar of his jacket. "But not before you have a drink with your good ole wingmates."

"Let go of me!" Starscream said, squirming and not giving a damn about the fact that he would break more than one bone if Skywarp dropped him from that height. He hated it when he was lifted from his clothes like the useless puppet he was now… At least when Megatron had done it last he had been seated, lessening the distance to fall.

Skywarp placed him on the table, considerably softer than what Starscream expected.

"'Warp is right," Thundercracker said, Energon cube in hand. "You look close to blowing a gasket or two. Why don't you have a drink with us?"

Skywarp seized something from one of his subspace pockets and put it before Starscream. "And before you say anything, here you go. We were going to have some good stuff after all. Well, _I_ was going to. You know TC, he has never been able to hold his high grade."

Starscream stared at the Jack Daniel's bottle. "Where… did you get this?"

Skywarp took two empty cubes to the Energon dispenser. "A little leftover from the supplies that Rumble and Frenzy got you. I thought it would come in handy, so I kept it."

Starscream felt a shiver when he remembered his very unpleasant first experience with human high grade. Having ended it purging his fuel tanks in Thundercracker's presence was one of the things he was looking forward to erasing from his memory banks, once he recovered them of course.

His blue wingmate made sure to remind him about his presence when Starscream felt a reddish light bathing him.

"What?" he said with annoyance, looking upwards to meet the optical sensors zooming in on his face.

"That hair on your face," Thundercracker said, "it wasn't there the last time we saw you."

Starscream took his hand to his face and could barely contain his surprise when he felt it raspy.

Skywarp returned to his seat and placed the two cubes on the table, one of them only half filled. "What hair? I see no hair," he said, scanning Starscream's form.

Thundercracker pointed toward Starscream's cheeks with his finger. "There, it's barely visible, but it's definitely growing."

"Don't fucking touch me!" Starscream complained when Skywarp used his finger to make him turn around.

"Slag, you're right…" Skywarp said in low voice, not paying the slightest attention to what Starscream had said. "I know what it is. I saw it in a human movie I watched with Wildrider… Screamer, sorry to tell you this, but you are becoming a werewolf."

Starscream stepped backwards to get rid of his wingmate's touch. "Just leave me alone, Skywarp! I'm not in the mood for your stupidity tonight!"

Skywarp grinned. "Are you ever? Hey, did you just call me stupid, fleshie?"

"What do I have to do for you to shut your fraggin' vocalizer off?" Starscream cried, throwing a fist at Skywarp's finger. Of course, pain was felt only on his side.

"Tell you what. Have a drink with us and I'll get off your back. Promise."

"I said no."

Thundercracker gently pushed the bottle of whiskey toward Starscream. "Is it such a torture to share a moment with us, Starscream? When was the last time you refueled with us in this very room?"

Starscream opened his mouth but he couldn't say a thing. It hadn't been so long ago, of course, but he couldn't remember exactly when. Time was perceived very differently by the humans; logically, because their life spans were insignificant. And now he was part of that curse, time was running by his human systems at a very different pace from his Cybertronian body. The thought made him shiver.

He sat on the table and grasped the glass bottle. The memories of that whiskey fuel were not pleasant indeed, but he also remembered that he had felt relaxed at some point, right in the moment in which he had felt beyond miserable. Perhaps the effect would be the same now, when he could really use something to distract him from all the insanity of what had become his reality.

"Hey, that's the spirit!" Skywarp cheered. "A toast, gentlebots— I mean, gentlebot and gentlebug. For us, 'cause hey, there's no such thing better than a Seeker."

Starscream grimaced. A Seeker, yes… he was a Seeker, had been one once… What the hell was he now?

Thundercracker lifted his half Energon cube and clicked it against Skywarp's. Starscream opened his whiskey bottle and barely lifted it, only to take it immediately to his mouth. The bitter liquid burned his throat, but he didn't care.

After taking a deep swig, Starscream put the bottle on the surface of the table, the sound of glass against metal creating an unusual echo through the walls. "There's something I need you to do for me."

Thundercracker and Skywarp stared at him inquisitively.

Before either of them could make any mocking remark, Starscream continued. "There's an abandoned detention center at sector G-7 in Polyhex."

"I know that center," Thundercracker said. "Although it's nothing but ruins now."

Starscream looked at his wingmate and nodded. "On the surface, perhaps, but not beneath. I'm certain that the underground storage rooms are still undamaged, as their contents should be."

Now that definitely caught the attention of his former subordinates. "Contents? You mean empty shells?" Skywarp said stupidly.

"They are functional Cybertronian bodies," Starscream hissed. "They may be shells without sparks, but they can be the answer I'm looking for. I need you to get one for me and hide it in a secure place."

Starscream's grip on the bottle tightened so much that he almost broke it. If there was something he hated as much as being human, it was asking for favours, especially when they involved a very small light at the end of a very long and twisted tunnel.

"And what would you do with a lifeless body?" Thundercracker asked, frowning. "It's not like you can transfer your life force to its spark chamber, starting with the fact that you don't have a spark anymore."

"Just stick to my orders and spare me from opinions I never requested!" Starscream yelled, remembering immediately that his wingmates were not under his command anymore and that it wasn't a good idea to shout orders at them. "Just… get that shell for me. There is actually a way to transfer my life force into it and become a Cybertronian again."

Thundercracker rubbed his chin. "You mean that Autobot device… Do they still have it? I recall it was a failure. It almost killed their human pet when they transferred his mind into a robotic frame."

"Yes, they still have it, and it won't be a failure once I redesign it. Megatron is working to recreate the water of the Well of Transformation, but I have it clear that I can't expect anything from him. If I'm going to get out of this it will be using my own resources… and your help, of course. Once the transfer is successful, I'll be able to rebuild my body… my real body."

"Sounds like a plan," Skywarp said. "Heh, count me in, Screamer. I'm sure it won't work, but what the slag. It will be funny. I propose another toast. To us, and to Screamer's insane idea! Bottoms up!"

Skywarp almost emptied his cube in a single gulp, and Thundercracker barely touched his high grade, smiling at his human ex Air Commander.

"What's so funny?" Starscream immediately complained.

"Your voice," Thundercracker said. "It reminds me of your old voice, before your vocalizer got damaged, remember?"

Starscream frowned. "Really? I hadn't noticed it."

"I wonder why you never had your vocalizer repaired, Screamer," Skywarp said. "Your voice wasn't so bad, I must admit. I never understood why you preferred to sound like two petro-rabbits performing their mating ritual."

"Exactly, you would never understand," Starscream said before drinking from the bottle again. And that was the truth. None of his wingmates would understand why he had decided to not repair his vocalizer after an Autobot had pierced his neck with what was meant to be deadly shot. Nobody would understand what he felt when he took the life of that same Autobot. Nobody would understand how alive he had felt, and how much he wanted to remember that feeling. His screechy voice was meant to be a permanent reminder of that day, but now that he had lost it he feared again that the one he was had been dissolved between the ripples of the water of the Well of Transformation.

For a moment he feared that Skyfire could have recognized traces of his former voice too, but his former friend hadn't given any signals on the matter… or at least that was what he thought.

"You would never understand," he repeated slowly, taking a deep gulp from the bottle. It burned his throat but he didn't give a slag. He just wanted to feel anything besides the thing corroding his insides.

Anything.

_To be continued._

* * *

_Our combined schedules have been a glitch lately, but we will do our best to provide you faster updates. Please let us know your opinions._


	35. Whiskey should be served in cubes

_Hello. _

_Some of you may remember us, or maybe you are aware of our return to the land of the living if you are also following our other joint fic._

_In any case, we won't bore you with excuses. It's been very hard to find the time to post as lives have been so busy these past few months, but we are making a big effort for two big reasons. _

_One, the respect we owe to our readers, who have thoroughly supported our joint and solo fics, and who definitely deserve more frequent updates than the ones we provide._

_And two, our big, purple love for Transformers fanfiction, one very delicious twist on the road that we walk after surrendering to a bunch of alien, fictional, and evil robots._

* * *

**Chapter 34**

**Whiskey should be served in cubes**

Skywarp put a seventh empty cube on top of the pile, making it collapse. Countless transparent pieces spread across the floor as they shattered, making the Seeker burst into laughter.

"You are ssso stupid," Starscream said awkwardly, leaning on another empty cube with an almost empty bottle of whiskey beside him. He had removed his jacket and unbuttoned his shirt.

"Says the little human who can't even stand up," Skywarp sneered.

"Fuck you."

"Oh, fuck you too, Screamer. What did you say that meant, by the way?"

Starscream smiled stupidly. "That… you could understand."

"Look at you, using all those human words. Your maker wouldn't recognize you, I tell you."

"Why don't you go and ffuck…"

"I think you've had enough of that human high grade, Starscream," Thundercracker said severely.

"What do you care? Why do you have to be ssso fuckin' stiff all the time, Thundercracker? I mean, look at that," Starscream said, pointing at Thundercracker's high grade cube, which had barely been touched. "A sparkling could take more high grade than you!"

"Oh, let him be, TC," Skywarp said, putting his hand on Thundercracker's shoulder. "Screamer is finally loosing himself, right Screamer?"

"Yeah…"

Skywarp filled his ninth cube and sat heavily on his chair, making the entire table – and Starscream – shake. "Y'a know, I think I've never seen you this wasted, Screamer, except that time in Kalis, remember?"

Starscream only laughed.

"What time in Kalis?" Thundercracker asked.

"When we first attacked the city, remember TC? You were on the front lines with the Coneheads, but Screamer and I remained in a trench for three cycles."

"Yeah, and we fucked," Starscream said, introducing more whiskey to his systems.

Thundercracker frowned at the mention of the human word again. "What did that mean, again?"

Skywarp laughed. "We 'faced! There was nothing else to do in that trench and I had brought my reserve of high grade, you know how it is."

"You and Starscream interfaced?" Thundercracker asked.

"Yup, but it was no big deal. Screamer was drunk and I was bored."

"Why, are you jealous _TC?" _Starscream asked maliciously.

Thundercracker shrugged his shoulders. "I don't do mechs."

"Your loss," Skywarp said, punching his wingmate's arm. "You will spend your life without the good stuff, I mean, how many female Transformers remain on line these days, like ten?" He turned toward Starscream, who was drinking from his bottle. "Screamer, on the other hand, is a lucky slagger. This fragging planet is populated by females! How many of them have you nailed with your little fleshie intimate circuitry?"

"It's _not _little," Starscream said instinctively.

"Compared with mine, it's tiny," Skywarp prided himself. "But spill it, Screamer. How many femmes have you fragged?"

"Just one," he said nonchalantly; Skywarp and Thundercracker had discovered a long time ago that the only way to extract the truth from Starscream was to get him drunk or angry. "Buuut many times, many, many times."

Skywarp shook his head and turned to Thundercracker, spilling some of his high grade in the process. "See what I mean, TC? Just a few weeks with the fleshies and he's already getting more than you. You really need to expand your horizons, ya know?"

"There _is_ more to life than interfacing," Thundercraker grumbled, eyeing off his half-empty cube of high grade with contempt. There had always been certain subjects that had encouraged him to drink, and this was one of them.

"Ahhhhh, you only say that because you're not getting any. You know I'd frag you, right?"

"You'd frag a petro-rabbit if it looked at you the right way."

"Yeah, probably," Skywarp admitted as he proceeded to lap some of his spilt high grade from his hand and arm. "Well, if you're not interested in my generous offer, I guess there's only one acceptable solution then. TC, we're taking you to the Well of Transformation!"

The sound of Starscream snorting through a mouthful of whisky returned the attention of the two Seekers to their ex Commander. "No," he spat as he inspected the last dregs in the bottle. "TC may be a fucking asshole...and yeah, you are TC...but I wouldn't wish that fffffucking water on anyone."

Skywarp stood up abruptly, slamming his empty energon cube on the table. "W-what?! You're fragging this femme all the time and you say it's not worth it? Ff-frag you, Screamer! Either you're the greediest slagger in the universe, not wanting to share your femme with TC, or you're lying about how much you're getting. What, haven't you worked out how to use that disgusting flesh thing yet?"

"I know _exactly_ how to use it," Starscream stated arrogantly. "Unlike yyyou, Skywarp. You've never known how to use your intimate circuits...and I know from experience."

The look on Skywarp's face cycled between shock, anger and confusion while his inebriated processor attempted to comprehend Starscream's statement. After a few moments, during which his human companion watched him with amusement, the purple Seeker dropped down into his chair again, a goofy grin colouring his features. "Ssssssooo... 'Facing a human femme?" He began, forgetting the insult to explore more important matters. "What's it like?"

Starscream drained the last of his whisky, wobbling terribly as he tossed aside the bottle with a sneer. He took a moment to regain his balance, leaning himself first on Skywarp's cube before settling on Thundercracker's thumb. "Wet," he finally concluded.

"Wet?" Tundercracker said, his lip curled in disgust.

"Anything else?" Skywarp asked, unsatisfied with the answer.

"Wwell, it's all a bit too messy for my liking, but..." Starscream swayed slightly and tightened his hold Thundercraker's thumb, "it's fun. Aaannd the slut I've got...she...she really knows how to take it."

The human smiled lopsidedly before falling backwards off his perch, his drunken laughter ringing out from between Thundercracker's giant fingers.

"Wow," Skywarp said in awe, moving closer to take a look at his fallen companion. "You really did it, didn't you, Screamer? You fragged a human female... Wow, I hate you sssooooooo much right now."

"So nothing...nothing's changed then?"

"Yeah, I'll always hate you Screamer."

With some careful cajoling from Thundercracker, Starscream slowly managed to pull himself up onto his feet, standing unsteadily on the table top. "Fuck," he said as he took hold of Thundercracker's finger again. "I don't want to go back there."

The trine fell silent.

* * *

Starscream came to an abrupt halt when his bike crashed against a boulder and sent him falling on his ass. It was fortunate that he had decided to stop riding; and for the last half hour all he had done was push his bike through the narrow natural corridor that lead to his quarters at the Ark. It was also fortunate that he had managed to arrive there in one piece, especially considering the fact that he didn't remember how the slag he had managed to ride after deciding to take a quick spin before surrendering to the confines of the Ark again. He was lucky not to have been spotted, arriving on foot at the Autobot's headquarters before leaving again on the bike; luckier still given the erratic way he had taken off.

Starscream laughed softly, feeling stupid. He, the Vosnian Prince of the Skies, barely able to walk… It was ridiculous, but funny somehow. There was no doubt that alcohol did things to his organic systems, things that illuminated the amusing side of situations that normally would have angered him.

He supported himself on the irregular wall and managed to stand up, leaning partially on his bike. He took a moment to breathe deeply and tried to orientate himself. Just in which direction were his fucking quarters? The narrow tunnels inside the volcano that sheltered the Ark were a wonderful way to get out of his provisional home without being spotted, but they did nothing to help his claustrophobia. He smiled; that was another thing whiskey was proving to be such a great medicine for. He had been pushing his bike through a cave for at least half an hour and claustrophobia had kept its distance. He would have to keep that in mind when he returned to his former body; getting over-energized was the perfect way to ignore enclosed spaces.

It took him another half hour to find the small tunnel he was looking for, during which he only stopped to empty his bladder of some the whiskey he had had, and to fall on his knees every time balance decided to be a glitch. Still, he kept his good mood. He was dizzy and was feeling utterly weak, but all in all, being over-energized protected him from his misery. That would have been a perfect moment for that whore Stella to suck him off…

He was still smirking at the idea when he finally pushed the door to his quarters open. He blinked at the excessive light. He remembered that he had turned the lights off, but then again, he wasn't certain about anything anymore. All he knew was that he needed to crash on his bed and sleep for a hundred vorns.

He made his way to the object of his desire, tripping on the metallic container in which he had stored some toiletries, and collapsed on the bed, not even bothering to take his clothes off. The mattress felt like heaven, receiving his form with a softness that was definitely not part of his routine but that he could definitely get used to. For a moment he was back on Kaon, at Madam Silverstream's Brothel, lying on a berth with half a dozen femmes taking care of him and his wildest fantasies… He could certainly use half a dozen Stellas as well. Would there be a way to clone the slagging human? That way, if one of them died, he would always have more to keep pleasing him. He had to remember to remove the vocalizer from the clones, though; the last thing he needed was to listen to her stupid small talk. The thought made him grin.

The sound of a small cough took him out of his cloning fantasy, and from the cycle of recharge that he was already savoring. Even within his dizziness, he had enough clarity of mind to realize that he wasn't alone.

* * *

Worry turned into relief when Carly heard footsteps behind the door of the emergency exit, but anger immediately followed. She checked her watch as the infamous absentee made his staggering entrance.

4:37 AM… She had been in Sean's room for more than two hours, as curious as she was angry about the whereabouts of that asshole who insisted on wandering between being a nice guy and a total jerk.

The scowl intended for him went unnoticed as he staggered towards the bed and collapsed face down on the pillow, completely oblivious to her presence. Only then Carly realized that he was completely drunk.

And not only that; his clothes were covered in dirt and partially torn. One leg of his jeans was cleanly ripped – probably as a result of falling from his bike – and exposed a red graze on the side of his thigh, his shirt had disappeared and only his open jacket covered his torso. One of his shoes was missing too.

Carly didn't even want to imagine where he had been and in what kind of company. She didn't stop to think why that thought annoyed her.

He finally noticed her when she coughed softly, yet firmly, and when he turned to stare at her all she received was a frown.

"You… what the slag… what are you doing here?" he said ill-humoredly. "Can't a mech have some privacy here?"

Carly frowned as well. He had to be even more wasted than she had imagined. "First, you are not a mech. And second, you have some nerve getting angry after what you've done. Where the heck were you?"

"I missed the part in which my fucking business became yours."

Silence was her only reply to his rude words. He seemed to notice as he ran a hand over his face and sighed. "I was having a ride, okay? Why? Do I need your permission because you gave me the fucking bike?"

Unconsciously, Carly formed a fist. "That's not the point… and don't you dare speak to me like that again, do you understand?!"

"As you command, _leader," _Sean said ironically, making the charade of a military salute. Carly found the gesture strangely familiar. "Can I have some privacy now? I _really _need to sleep."

"You are drunk," she said curtly.

"Your powers of observation amaze me. Yeah, I may be… so what?"

"So how dare you leave the base without telling anybody and return in such a state? You could've killed yourself riding a bike in that condition, you asshole!"

Carly didn't know why she was so angry. She had come looking for him with a very different motive, but imagining him in danger was really messing with her mind.

Sean raised his hands and looked at them. "Mm… but I didn't, right? As far as I can see, I'm still alive… in this same body."

Carly was so angry that she didn't pay attention to his last remark. "Yeah, but that doesn't mean you will always be that lucky! Don't you realize how dangerous it is for you to leave the base right now? You have become a target for the Decepticons! Any of them can kill you with one single finger!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know about that, okay? You don't have to remind me," he said with a frown.

"Then you should be a little bit more reasonable and stop acting like a capricious child!"

He flamed her with a red-hot glare, but he ended up sinking his face into the pillow again. "Fine… I'll be more careful from now on. Happy now?"

"Not yet. We still need to talk about what happened today during the football game," she said, suddenly remembering why she had spent two hours waiting for the insufferable punk.

He groaned in protest. "Can't you wait until tomorrow?"

"Sean, I saw you."

"Mmh?"

"I saw you hitting Spike on purpose."

He opened one eye. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh please, don't try to take me for a fool. You hit him with all the intention of hurting him."

"Are you sure you're not the one who's drunk? You heard what your Autobot buddies said… It was an accident. That game is supposed to be rough, right?"

"Well, I didn't buy it."

"For frags sake, woman, what do you want me to do? Apologize to your pathetic boyfriend?"

"His name is Spike, and yes, that would be a good start."

She was sure that Sean was about to throw another rude remark at her, but he managed to calm himself. Perhaps he had admitted to himself he had made a mistake?

"O-kay… I'll do that tomorrow. Can I get some sleep now?"

Carly got up from the chair, deciding to let him be. There was more that she wanted to say to him, but it could wait. He looked really messed up; not only by his drunkenness but by something else that seemed to be troubling him.

"Are you okay?" She asked after a moment, putting aside the anger.

"I fucking told you," he replied, voice muffled by the pillow, "I need to sleep."

"That's not what I meant," Carly said with a huff. She moved cautiously to his bedside. "You've been through a lot these last couple of days, and the fact that you're now completely wasted tells me that you're not coping with it."

"Oh so you're a fragging psychiatrist now, are you?" Sean said wearily, rolling over to look at her darkly. "Listen, female, if you had any fucking idea just how much I've been through in this life, you'd realize that I'm coping exceptionally well."

Carly shook her head, tempted to walk away from the jerk. Their eyes met for a moment before she looked down, catching a glimpse of his well defined abs before finding the floor.

"If you say so," she finally relented, losing patience with his drunken attitude. "Just…just promise me that you'll take care of yourself, okay?"

When she dared to take a look at his eyes again, she found them closed. He had fallen asleep, despite the uncomfortable position of his body, his back partially leaning on the bed's headboard. But that was nothing surprising, considering he was completely wasted. She wondered why he had ended up in that state, and whether he had had company…

Carly frowned, opening the nearby draws and pulling out a sheet. What did she care if he had gotten that drunk alone or with somebody else? He had saved her life twice, and in a way she wanted to help him, as she seemed to be the only one who had read all that loneliness and desperation in his eyes. But from that to actually taking a personal interest in him…

She shook the sheet and let it unfold in front of her, her eyes fixed on his face. Sleep had softened his features somewhat, giving him a look of peace that seemed so foreign to his waking self.

Carly's gaze lowered, and she felt her cheeks blush as she watched his strong chest rise and fall with deep breaths. She couldn't help but wonder if sleep was a rare visitor to the man; if alcohol was a regular comfort in a life that seemed so mysterious to her.

She let out another sigh as she approached him slowly, gently laying the sheet over his prone form. "Sleep well, you jerk," she said softly, resisting the urge to run her hand comfortingly over his forehead.

_To be continued._

* * *

_So there it was, an update that hopefully will be followed by another one soon. We hope you'll enjoy and please share your comments with us._


	36. Social Networking on the Streets

_Yep, so once again we've left you waiting for months. It wasn't intentional, but as per usual life has been rather hectic for the both of us. We do apologize, and thank you for all of your support and encouragement. Once again we just want to reassure you that, despite the delays, we won't abandon Fleshling or our other joint fics – we love them too much to do that. (Same goes for our solo fics too, by the way.)_

_And speaking of things we love, this chapter features a character that we've quickly grown to love – we really hope you will start to feel the same way about her, because she won't be going away anytime soon ;-)_

* * *

**Chapter 35**

**Social Networking on the Streets**

The streets had barely changed over the last thirty years. People had grown older – and had grown in numbers too. The buildings had the same careless facades she remembered, the smell of cigarettes and failure was the same when it arrived at her nostrils; dollars and white powder were exchanged instead of handshakes… There was, too, the familiar symphony of gunfire, or the nocturnal sight of a trembling man with his hands dancing awkwardly with the knife stabbing his chest.

Those where the streets Johanna knew, ever since the time when she had been a 'he', when the hope of leaving the neighborhood was still that, hope, and not a stupid, impossible dream.

A little bit of love for a little bit of cash, she thought as her high heels competed with the others walking the streets. She shrugged her broad shoulders; it had been years since she had stopped selling her caresses for pennies. She had never been good enough for that; as much as men loved to test their manhood with exotic creatures like her, they hated to remember it the next morning.

She had lost count of how many times she had been punched for that same reason – and also of the times she had responded to those punches. That was one of the reasons why her strong biceps and long eyelashes mixed so well, because she could defend herself in times of need. That was also one of the reasons why she was so fond of Stella, the bravest and most beautiful woman she had ever met, one whose strength had nothing to do with muscles.

Johanna would have smiled, as she did almost every time she thought about her best friend, but there were moments in which a smile was impossible, and that was one of them. As her red heels entered the decayed building, she almost wished she believed in a god, so she could pray and find Stella home. But gods and heavens coming to the rescue were impossible things, just as the thought of Stella being away from the clutches of beasts was.

When she finished climbing the stairs, however, she wondered if she had found a god after all, or at least the next best thing. An Adonis in blue jeans… that was everything she wanted for Christmas.

Yet, like all the gods that had flirted with her morals for a just modicum of attention over the years, her new deity exposed himself as unworthy within moments of discovery.

Strong hands worked deftly at the lock on Stella's door as a well-defined shoulder and arm braced hard against the shabby barrier in an attempt to force it open.

"Did you lose your keys, honey, or are you simply picking the wrong lock?"

The young man startled, turning to her the most handsome face she had ever seen.

However, his frown was far from agreeable when he saw her. Johanna was perfectly okay with that; she was very used to assholes who judged her only by her appearance.

"What business is it of yours?"

Confirmed: he was an asshole. That didn't stop him from being gorgeous, though.

"Well, it happens to be my fucking business because the door you're picking is the door to my girl's apartment."

The young man continued to work the lock, turning his cocky green gaze back to the door.

"Your girl?" He snorted derisively. "I think you'll find she's mine. Pitiful as she is, I seriously doubt she'd be associated with a creature as pathetic as you."

Johanna rolled her eyes at the comment, immune to such a common sting. A pity, but she guessed it was to be expected of someone so utterly sexy. Good looks and courtesy just never seemed to go together; not on her side of the city, at least.

"That wasn't what I meant, asshole, but I'm sure you know that already. What the fuck do you think you're doing breaking into Stella's place?"

"If telling you is the only way for you to leave me the slag alone, then yes, I lost my slag- my fucking keys. Satisfied now, female?"

Johanna quirked a stylized eye brow. Perhaps she should have paid more attention to his rare word selection, but had he actually called her 'female'? Maybe he was being ironic, but he had sounded almost sincere. As much as she would have loved to be confused with a real woman, Johanna knew that her looks didn't fool anybody who could tell girl from boy.

Perhaps there was something wrong with him, aside from the bad attitude; was he drunk, or on drugs…surly he wasn't blind? Still, the young man's apparent ignorance didn't excuse the fact that he was trying to trespass on Stella's home, and what was his reason – he'd lost his keys?

Bullshit.

Johanna knew for a fact that Stella didn't trust anyone with keys to her apartment, no one except her good self. A life of suffering had taught her friend that nothing was more sacred than her own private space, the one place where she could seek sanctuary from the streets that hated her.

"Did you, really? Did you drop them in the same place you dropped your honesty, by any chance? Enough with the bullshit, honey, 'cause you're not fooling me."

He stopped struggling with the door and turned to her, his eyes as beautiful as they were threatening.

"And who in the Inferno would you be?"

Johanna opened her purse and showed him her keychain, featuring a small male figure with a huge cock. "I'm the one who happens to have the fucking keys, provided by the owner of this place herself."

He frowned, almost immediately reaching out to her in an attempt to take the keys, but she stepped back and took from her purse the other object she had in mind.

"Whoa… be careful with that" he said, stopping in his tracks and raising his hands in a pacifying gesture. Guns had that effect on jerks like him, and her 9 millimeters had never let Johanna down. It was a dangerous neighborhood, after all, and a girl had to take care of herself, especially one that had once been a guy.

"Oh, I wouldn't know. My finger slips so easily… In other words, you better start telling me who the fuck you are and what the fuck you are doing here. And remember, I want to see your hands up all the time." _And your pants down… _It was such a shame that she couldn't pronounce those last words, especially if the gorgeous asshole turned out to be who she had begun to suspect he was.

He rolled his eyes and featured an unfriendly grimace. "I'm Stella's… friend. I left my wallet inside last night and I need it. Is that enough for you?"

"Careful with the attitude, smart ass. I'm the one with the gun, remember that."

"Yes, but the question is, do you know how to use it? Somehow, I doubt it. But no matter, you got your answer, so get lost."

The scorn in his voice did little to convince Johanna of the truth behind his words, yet, the more she considered his athletic physique, the more certain she became of her suspicions. It was disappointing to find him such a prick – Stella deserved more than that – but once again, she shouldn't have been surprised. Good people and happy endings didn't belong in their world.

Frowning at the thought, she cocked the gun. "Honey, you're a fucking liar."

His arrogant façade faded a bit at the metallic sound of the gun being readied to fire. "Wait…" he said, lowering one of his hands in a pacifying gesture. "Don't shoot."

She wasn't going to shoot the object of Stella's adoration, of course, but she wasn't going to drop the advantage the gun gave her either. Ever since she had known of his existence, she had been very curious about the guy who had turned Stella's world upside down. There wouldn't be a better chance to get to know him.

"And why not? I find you trying to break into my best friend's place. What would you do in my place?"

He seemed to contemplate the question for a moment, the faintest hint of a smirk crossing his features. Johanna supposed that a guy like him would have many 'friends', or at least, people that craved his attention or affections or simply his power – but would he protect them like she did Stella?

Somehow, she doubted it.

"You don't want to know what I'd do, female," he finally replied.

She couldn't get enough of being called 'female'. Otherwise, she might have paid more attention to his sinister tone.

"Maybe, but I think you'd like to know what I plan to do if you don't start singing, honey," she said, tightening the hold on her gun. "Your name, for example. Spill it if you don't want me to open a third eye on your forehead."

He sneered, not looking impressed at all. "Would you shoot me in the head? I don't think so."

She smirked, lowering the gun and pointing it right at his crotch. "It's not _that_ head I'm thinking of."

He didn't react immediately, a very strange thing considering how guys always had their cocks in mind.

"Another empty threat," the young man said after a moment, turning aside from the gun barrel despite his bravado. "But if you really must know, it's Sean."

Bingo. Johanna couldn't help but smirk slightly; it couldn't have been anyone else. The odds of finding a second stud of his standards on those streets were near impossible.

Asshole or not, she could certainly understand Stella's attraction. She couldn't help but wonder if there was any way to confirm the truth of those reports about his _other_ head…

"So nice to meet you, Sean," the woman responded, her deep voice both smooth as honey and cutting as steel. "I've heard a lot about you."

The glare he shot her was anything but friendly.

"Didn't Stella tell you who I am?" she continued. "I'm Johanna."

"I couldn't care less about Stella's personal life," he said, lowering his arms. "Now that we've finished getting acquainted, would you mind opening the door for me? I really need to retrieve my wallet."

"You couldn't care less?" Johanna asked, quirking an eyebrow as she readjusted her aim. "Well now, honey, that wasn't the answer I was looking for."

"As if I give a fuck what you think," Sean laughed arrogantly.

"Wrong answer again, honey," Johanna said, raising the gun to his chest momentarily, before dropping the aim again. "Stella doesn't need assholes like you in her life, she has enough of them already."

Sean scoffed nastily. "I'm sure Stella doesn't need _you_ making decisions for her, you pathetic creature. I'm sure she's quite capable of making them on her own. She's certainly capable of _other _things. Perhaps she likes the treatment _assholes_ give her, have you ever thought about that?"

Johanna felt herself falter for a moment as anger welled up inside of her like hot wax in a beauty salon. That he would _dare_ to say something like that to her, that he would dare degrade her best friend while she held a gun to him…

The woman didn't think as she took a step forward and raised her free hand, slapping that arrogant, smirking face with brutal force.

"Say something like that again and you'll be leaving this place with a second asshole, you hear me? You have my word on it!" The grip on her gun trembled, her finger close to pulling the trigger. "Ever since my friend met you, she has done nothing but please you, and you have no idea the kind of trouble she has gotten into because of that. The least you can do is treat her with some respec—"

Johanna had never seen anybody moving that fast. As a matter of fact, she didn't even see him; she just felt a claw-like grip on her wrist and a similar hold on her throat. In a moment she was turned around like a puppet, the back of her head hitting the nearby wall, leaving her vision temporary blurred.

"Strike me again and I'll tear your internals from your body. _You have my word on it._" There was something very dark in that voice, and in the eyes that were stabbing her. Johanna couldn't remember the last time she had felt genuine fear, but she was close to fainting when she saw a crimson glint within his eyes. It had to be her blurred vision playing tricks on her, there was no other explanation…

Still, she did her best to keep herself together. "Go ahead… If you're going to kill me, do it now, asshole. You Kane men are all the same, fucking cowardly pieces of shit…"

The grip on her wrist softened a bit. "I'm not one of Kane's lackeys. Don't insult me like that."

He released her, also releasing her from her 9 millimeters as he did so. She grasped her hurt wrist as he stepped back and scrutinized the gun – which she supposed had just changed owners.

"That's what Stella says… but still that hasn't stopped her getting in trouble with him because of you."

"And what in the Inferno had you thinking that her problems concern me?"

She frowned, quickly forgetting about her fear. "Nothing but my own stupid self. I can see now the kind of bullshit Stella got associated with, but I warn you asshole, gun or not, if you hurt her you'll have to answer to me."

Considering his cocky attitude, she was sure he would laugh in her face, but surprisingly, he didn't. He hid the gun beneath his jacket and fixed his intense eyes on her again, although this time they were more serious than threatening.

"If hurting your _friend_ was my intention, female, I'd have done so the very first day I met her. So spare me your pathetic attitude. It's totally useless."

Johanna frowned as she scrutinized the look on the young man's face, uncertain of his sincerity. Indeed, he could have chosen to hurt Stella already, but then again, who was to say he hadn't. Love Stella as she did, Johanna knew her friend's habits when it came to accepting poor treatment from men.

Still, she took confidence from the thought that he had put the gun away, instead of turning it on her.

"Honey, I give as good as I get," she finally responded. "You treat me like shit – or Stella, for that matter – and I'll treat _you_ like shit. Don't like my 'pathetic' attitude? Then spare me yours. Simple, really."

Johanna ignored the snarl on Sean's lips as he made to protest, pushing past him to place herself by Stella's door. "Now, you said you were here for your wallet, yes? Then hurry up and take it, and get the fuck out of here."

Sean scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "If you hadn't got in my way, female, I would have left long ago."

"So you say, honey," Johanna purred, unlocking the door and inhaling deeply as the young man stalked past her into Stella's apartment. _Damn, he even smells delicious_.

She remained silent as Sean rifled around between the couch cushions before bending down to search under the unmade bed, his perfect ass dancing before her provocatively. Asshole or not, she had to admit that Stella had made a fine choice based on looks alone…if only he had a taste for the things she herself had on offer.

If only Stella was willing to share so she could at least find out… She'd have to work on that one, if the prick was going to hang around.

But alas, the spectacle was over as quickly as it had begun, with Sean standing up triumphant, wallet in hand.

"Tell your friend to be home and clean tonight," he said with a sneer as he stopped under the doorframe and looked up into her eyes. "I have a lot to do today and I'll be in need of her services when I'm done. And make sure you're gone – had you been slightly attractive I may have kept you around, but I only have need for one _ugly_ whore."

And with that, he walked away, tight jeans embracing his ass in a way she could only dream about.

"Prick," she called out as he disappeared from view.

_To be continued._


	37. Stalkers just wanna go shopping

**Chapter 36**

**Stalkers just wanna go shopping**

It wasn't the first time Starscream had been inside another mech, or indeed, an Autobot for that matter. But such situations weren't normally a cause for discomfort, or for disgust, as this particular instance was proving to be.

Perhaps if Wheeljack didn't drive so slowly, the trip may have been a little more pleasant; then at least he could have opened the window and let the wind play in his hair as it did when he rode his motorcycle at speed. But instead the insufferable fool drove carefully through the streets, obeying those stupid, human speed limits like his Autobot honour depended on it. It was nauseating.

And speaking of nauseating, the words spilling from Carly's mouth as she consoled her pathetic boyfriend over the phone...eechh. Anything more sickly sweet and he'd be the one needing to stay home in bed due to illness.

He found himself doing the thing he had done the most since his transformation into a human insect: missing his true, Cybertronian form. Only that this time he didn't do it for pure nostalgia; this time, he longed for his audio receptors, so he could shut them down and spare himself from the pathetic display of emotions that made his stomach churn.

"Yes, I'll see you tonight, Spike… Please don't forget to take your medicine. I love you too."

Starscream rolled his eyes. Were all humans this ridiculous concerning their interfacing relationships or were these two the worst cases of the disease? Cybertronians functioned differently concerning their affections, especially Decepticons. Feelings were calculated, controlled impulses coming from their sentient processors, at least for those who had the coldness to keep focused on the things that were really important.

Such as power and greatness… those were the things that made Starscream feel aroused, such was his lust. He had never been in a relationship with anybody and his interfacing partners had never seen his berth twice.

Except for the human Stella.

Starscream frowned. He hadn't taken the time to analyze his unexplainable obsession with that ugly female, but it had something to do with his human condition and the wreck of an organic brain he had instead of a cybernetic processor. He blamed the thing that hung between his legs the most, though; it always seemed to have a mind of its own and didn't give a slag about his dignity.

There was no other way to explain such weakness.

Although, he had to admit that it was good to have someone under his control again, someone he could dominate and pull the strings for instead of being the one forced to dance. That's why he had to keep her around, despite what she did to his common sense. After all, what was the point of power if there was no one beneath you to command?

And yet, already there was someone on those streets that would dare challenge his place above them all. Pathetic as she was, that hideous creature he had found at Stella's apartment – Joan, Jane, Jhiaxus...whatever – had proven useful for something; advising of Kane's actions against Stella, and in turn him.

Starscream sneered as he looked out of Wheeljack's tinted windows, feeling his hands clench at his sides.

"Are you okay, Sean? I registered an increase of adrenaline in your systems."

Starscream tried not to frown, much less to punch Wheeljack's console. Who the frag did that Autobot scum think he was to invade his intimacy that way?

"I'm fine. I was just remembering all the things I've lost recently," he said, as nonchalantly as he could. He had to be smart and remember that a Cybertronian could detect a lot about a human's mood just by their internal functioning. He couldn't afford to have his emotions reveal who he really was.

"It must have been very hard to lose your house and your belongings, but the purpose of this shopping day is to correct that, if only partially," Carly told him, grabbing his arm softly.

He wasn't displeased by her touch, but if the human really wanted to help him, she could have grabbed another part of his anatomy instead.

"Remember that we also need to acquire the supplies I need for my experiment," Wheeljack said, his console lighting up as he spoke.

Carly smiled. "But of course. I heard that Sean has been a great assistant to you, Wheeljack."

The female kept her hand on Starscream's arm. He wondered if she would be so kind if she knew who she was touching.

The Autobot laughed. "He learns very fast! Not even Sparkplug was this enthusiastic when he first came in contact with Cybertronian technology."

_Learn? From you, you pathetic comedy of a scientist! _Starscream would always remember being Wheeljack's assistant as one of the most embarrassing moments of his life, and not because of alliances but because Starscream himself was, by far, a much better scientist than that clown.

"I… have a way with machines, I guess," he said.

"Don't be so modest," Wheeljack scolded jovially. "It's been good having your help in the laboratory, Sean, I think I will make considerable progress on my experiment with you around."

_Oh yes, considerable progress will be made, Autobot. But not on your stupid, worthless experiment._ It made Starscream's stomach churn with repulsion to think he had to play such a charade in order to advance his plans; it was so utterly beneath him to have to actually rely on an Autobot for something.

And yet, there he was, playing the willing assistant despite how insufferable the situation. Once again he felt his anger rise, but this time he made an effort to swallow it down. Last thing he needed was to raise suspicions before he'd achieved his goals.

Starscream hadn't realised they had arrived at their destination until he heard Carly opening Wheeljack's door and climbing out.

"Are you coming?" She asked as she leaned into the car. The ex Seeker couldn't help but notice the low cut of her shirt and the flesh she exposed to him. "The sooner we find you some new clothes and personal items, the sooner you'll start to feel better about things."

Starscream controlled the need to laugh. _Feel better about things?_ Yeah, right… As chaotic as it had been at the beginning, it had seemed simpler as well. Use the water from the Well of Transformation, and have his body back. Simple.

But as the days went by, everything got more and more complicated. So many things had happened, each one of them taking that return to normality one step further from his reach.

He sighed and accepted the hand that Carly was extending to him. He focused on her breasts as a shallow, temporary way to evade reality. It worked, if only slightly.

* * *

It wasn't often that Johanna wasted her money on cab rides, especially long ones like this. She had never felt comfortable beyond the dirty, unkind streets of her own neighbourhood and besides, why spend money on wheels when high heels could do the job just as well?

But, every now and then there was cause for exception, a reason so urgent that money and the judging eyes of richer streets were of no issue. This was one of those instances.

Johanna eyed the shiny new pistol that sat cradled within her red handbag with a mixture of anger and disappointment flowing through her veins. She hadn't gone looking for him, hadn't wanted to find him, in fact, and yet, there he had been, standing right there across the street from her.

But that wasn't what had made her temperature rise, not his good looks nor the luxury car that he was climbing into. It was the woman that was with him.

A tall, curvy young thing, glowing blonde hair bouncing playfully over her shoulders as she walked... and pretty. Too pretty for those mean streets.

And Sean... The way that prick looked at her, with such lust in those piercing, green eyes – like the woman was all he had ever desired.

Johanna knew that, despite what Stella seemed to think, he would _never_ look at her that way. It was the proof she had needed, the truth she had been afraid to find, right there, written all over that handsomely arrogant face.

There had been no second thoughts in stepping out into the street and hailing the cab as the luxury car pulled away from the kerb, no regrets in offering to pay double if the driver followed said car to its destination without being detected.

After all, she had promised her friend that she would find out all she could about the little shit, and she always kept her word.

* * *

Her initial conclusions were not promising, much to her friend's disgrace.

First, it had been the car. A white Lancia Stratus Turbo 5, if the little part of her that remained a man remembered well. _Well, not so little, _she thought with a frown as she cast a disdainful look downwards.

But she had quickly forgotten about the car and even the intruder between her legs when she saw a certain handsome bastard parading through the shopping mall whilst the blonde chick paid for absolutely everything he chose.

_Fucking free-loader, male bitch… _

In a way it was understandable. Who in their right mind would dare to deny anything to that dream in blue jeans? Still, it pissed her off when he so obviously lived an easy life, unlike those he abused.

She watched them closely as they moved from store to store, selecting only the most expensive of items. Johanna kept her distance as she took it all in; his arrogance and open flirtation, his opulent tastes…

And the way his piercing green eyes never left his pretty little companion's breasts.

It wasn't until they reached one of the larger department stores and headed for the designer clothing section that Johanna decided that her time for action had come.

Luck seemed to be on her side – for once – when the pretty blonde got caught up looking at some new make-up – Johanna could understand that – whilst Sean proceeded to try some clothes.

As she walked behind her, Johanna could appreciate the beauty of that young woman, just the kind of perfection Johanna would have loved to have, had she been born a female. In a way she felt sorry for her; most likely she didn't know that her boyfriend, or whatever Sean was to her, procured the company of prostitutes, certainly not the kind of acquaintances that Blondie had in her social circles.

She slipped through the men's change room without being noticed – a prodigy, considering she _never_ went unnoticed – and found the one she was looking for by following the trace of English cologne.

"Girlfriend or wife, asshole?" she said, carefully opening the curtains and putting the barrel of her gun on the bare skin of Sean's back.

The young man froze momentarily before turning slowly to face her, his mouth twisting into an angry sneer as he realized who she was. Johanna kept the gun trained on him.

"Is pointing guns at me going to become a habit?" He spat nastily, dropping the pair of jeans he had been about to try on and taking a more aggressive stance. "What the fuck do you want?"

"I want an answer, actually," Johanna replied, reaching around to draw the curtain closed again. Her eyes roamed freely over Sean's athletic body, lingering on the tempting bulge of his underwear. "The blonde out there. Who is she?"

Sean let out an arrogant laugh. "What, are you jealous? I don't see how it's any of your business, woman."

That magic word again… combined with his nudity and close proximity, Johanna suddenly felt as if she might melt. Surely he had an idea of what his presence did to a woman?

Still, now wasn't the time to fall apart. She tightened her grip on the gun.

"I told you why it was my business, asshole. Don't make me repeat myself."

"And I think I made it clear that hurting your friend is not exactly my main priority. Did you have to come all the way here just to show me the kind of psychopath you are?" he said, grabbing a blue shirt from the chair. "I'm going to tell you this once, woman, so make sure you understand it: I hate being followed."

Johanna tried to ignore his amazing body as he started to try on the shirt nonchalantly.

"Answer my question and I'll leave. Who's that woman?"

He didn't reply immediately, instead standing in front of the mirror and admiring himself. Johanna was close to dropping the gun.

"Neither of those things you mentioned," he said, his evil twin giving her a twisted look from the mirror. "Now are you going to put away that gun or do you want me to do it myself? I don't think I need to demonstrate just how easily I can disarm you again?"

Johanna kept her arms raised, contemplating the meaning behind his so-called answer. She was certain it was bullshit; she knew that woman wasn't a hooker – there wasn't a whore on her streets that she didn't know, and even a high-end prostitute wouldn't spend her money on a client like that – and there was no way she was a relative either, judging by the way he looked at her.

So Blondie remained either girlfriend or wife, and either option wasn't good news for Stella. Still she lowered the gun, watching as Sean pulled on the pair of jeans he'd dropped earlier.

"Ok, honey," she finally said, reluctantly taking a step backwards. "I believe you. But remember what I told you the other day: you mess with Stella and I'll mess with you."

"So you said," he replied, returning his attention to the clothes hanging to his right.

With that, Johanna opened the curtain and left the cubicle, taking a moment to watch as the Adonis in blue jeans removed the shirt and reached for another to try on. Damn, even his scars were perfect.

* * *

She found Blondie virtually where she had left her, still by the make-up counter but now inspecting the store's range of mascara rather than the lipstick. Again, Johanna could relate to that, although she did wonder how the young woman had managed to resist the gorgeous blue dress hanging on the sale rack just a few feet to her left. It would likely fit the little bitch and look fabulous on her too; if only the same could be true for her.

Still, Johanna was used to the disappointments of expensive department stores, and there was no point in fretting over her limited choice in clothing sources when more important things were at hand. She flicked her long, brown hair playfully over her shoulders and put on her best smile, taking a moment to check that her pistol was safely hidden away in her red handbag before strutting confidently over to stand at the make-up counter beside her blonde target.

"Hmm…that mascara's okay, honey, but if I could offer my advice, I'd go with this one," Johanna said, picking up a pink and black tube and handing it to the young woman. "It adds a lot more length to the lashes, and lasts a lot longer too."

"Oh, ah, thanks," Blondie replied a little awkwardly as she took the mascara and looked Johanna up and down. Still, it didn't take long for a smile to break through. "I've been looking for something like that, they stopped stocking my usual brand here and I haven't been able to find a new one that I like."

"Tell me about it, honey."

Johanna watched as the woman opened the tester and inspected the brush, trying the bristles on the heel of her palm only to leave a black stain. She seemed even younger than Johanna had first thought, early- to mid-twenties perhaps, and had a light in her that someone like herself or Stella would never know. Obviously, this girl had had an easy life.

Still, Johanna couldn't help but suspect that her relationship with Sean – in whatever form it took – was going to take its toll on Blondie sooner rather than later. In a way, Johanna felt guilty that she would play a small part in that, but then again, why was it always the good looking women that had the happy lives? Didn't Stella deserve to be happy too?

It was tempting to simply ask the question – wife or girlfriend? – and be done with it, but the answer would only crush Stella and no further details of the Adonis-in-blue-jeans' life would be discovered. At least if she could find some evidence that Sean was worse than just some cheating, arrogant asshole, then perhaps she might be able to abate some of Stella's heartbreak.

Perhaps.

"What did I tell you, doesn't it just feel divine?" Johanna asked of the blonde woman as she put away the tester and added an unopened tube to her small collection of make-up, all of it expensive.

"Yes, I definitely think it's worth trying, thanks," the woman replied, starting to edge away towards the cash register.

"Before you go, I couldn't help but notice you were with Sean earlier," Johanna said, scrutinizing the slight look of surprise on the young woman's face at the mention of _his_ name.

"Yes, we came shopping together. Are you a friend of his?"

"An acquaintance, really; a friend of a friend. My name is Johanna."

"Carly," Blondie replied, extending a dainty hand.

Johanna took it. Soft, clean, feminine, delicate… Yes, definitely the kind of hand that had had an easy life, but also the kind of hand that wouldn't do the kind of things that Stella or Johanna's hands would do, and definitely the kind of hand that couldn't satiate her cheating _boyfriend's_ naughty needs.

Johanna supposed that was one of the reasons why Sean kept returning to Stella's bed; no doubt this Carly chick would be disgusted by what Stella did to him. Johanna, on the other hand, was simply envious.

Still, exploring Sean's perversions wasn't the aim of the game that day, as much as the concept excited her. Johanna let her smile grow.

"A pleasure. Now, you must forgive me for being so bold, but I was wondering if you'd mind passing on a message to Sean for me? I was hoping to catch him myself, but he disappeared into the fitting rooms before I could grab him and I really must be going."

Carly looked slightly taken aback, but still her pretty face continued to smile. Johanna couldn't help but wonder if that girl knew any other expression.

"Of course," she replied, "although I'm sure he won't be too much longer."

"Oh you're doll!" Johanna responded, choosing not to acknowledge Carly's invitation to wait. "I really appreciate it, Carly. If you could just let Sean know that Stella's arm is healing up okay, but she's gonna be left with a nasty scar… I just know Sean must have been worrying about her."

The smile faltered slightly at the mention of another woman's name, but still it remained on her coral pink lips. Wife or girlfriend, Johanna was now certain that Stella was Sean's little secret. Not that that actually proved anything; what man would tell a woman that he was spending time with a prostitute, anyway?

But it did sew a seed of doubt, which would hopefully grow into something far more fruitful…or fun, at least. That would teach the little prick.

"Yes, I'm sure he must have been worried. I'll tell him as soon as he's done," Carly said.

"Thank you so much, I really do appreciate it," Johanna continued, glancing over in the direction of the changing rooms. "She was very lucky, really. Kane has been known to do a lot worse…"

There was one clear answer, at least; Carly's smile disappeared, suddenly replaced with a frown. There was recognition in her eyes, she knew the name Kane, but there was surprise in that blue gaze too. So, Sean's association with Kane was also one of his secrets? Interesting, but not shocking.

Still, it was another seed planted, and another piece of information to exploit later on. Cruel as it probably was, Johanna could see opportunity in her chance meeting with Carly; she couldn't help but feel that they'd be meeting again soon. And if she had to walk all over her to protect Stella, well, so be it. Johanna would never be ashamed of the things she did to save her friend.

"But now I really must be going, I'm running very late for an appointment. Thanks again, Carly, and a pleasure meeting you."

"And you too."

Johanna turned to walk away, allowing Carly to make her way to the cashier. Pulling a pen and notepad out of her handbag, she quickly wrote down her address in long, flowing cursive, before returning to Carly's side.

"I have a store, if you're ever in the neighbourhood. There's this top I think would look fabulous on you," she said, handing over her details. "You can come with Sean."

Johanna couldn't help but smile as she turned and walked away, flicking her hair. "Oh, and let me know how that mascara goes," she called over her shoulder.

She didn't wait to see the reaction on Blondie's face. It was unnecessary; she was sure the Disney princess had never been so out of words.

_To be continued._

* * *

_Have you noticed how interesting it is to mix the pieces of a puzzle, especially if that causes double trouble for our villain in disguise?_

_Many thanks for reading and for all your support. Your comments and insight are pure fuel for the jet – no pun intended._


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